p252, "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman
Makes 10 or more scones
Time: 20 minutes
2 cups (about 9oz) all purpose or cake flour, plus more as needed
1 scant tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp cold butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream*
1/3 cup chocolate chips (original recipe calls for currants or raisins but
you can do chocolate chips; I have and it works just fine)
1 tbsp water
*Do NOT use milk; scones are just biscuits made with cream so if you use milk, you're just making biscuits!
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl or food processor, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Cut the butter into bits and either pulse it in the food processor (the easiest) or pick up a bit of the dry ingredients, rub them with the butter between your fingers, and drop them again. All the butter should be thoroughly blended before proceeding.
Beat 2 of the eggs with the cream; with a few swift strokes combine them with the dry ingredients. Use only a few strokes to stir in the chocolate chips. (This is to prevent the flour gluten from developing too much - the idea is flaky, not chewy.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it ten times; no more. If it is very sticky, add a little flour, but very little; don't worry if it sticks a bit to your hands.
Press the dough into a 3/4" thick rectangle and cut into 2" rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again; this recipe will produce 10 to 14 biscuits.
Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown. These keep better than biscuits but should still be eaten the same day you make them.
Jen
(12/18/99)
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