I’ve been riffing off Christine‘s scones recipes (just go to Morning Coffe and Afternoon Tea and enter a search for scones in her search box–she has several scones recipes) and have a variation on a simple scones recipe that was a big hit with my Wonder Woman.
So, here ’tis:
Ingredients
- 3C regular old white flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter (melted)
- 4Tbs sugar
- 2 eggs_milk to make one cup liquid
- Finely-grated zest of one lemon
- 1Tbs lemon juice
- 1Tbs (more or less to taste) poppy seeds
Procedure
Heat oven to 375F
Optional: also heat well-seasoned cast iron skillet to medium heat
- Mix dry ingredients
- Add melted butter and cut in well
- Mix wet ingredients (this includes the lemon zest), adding the lemon
- juice last
- Mix wet and dry
- Optional: Oil cast iron pan lightly; use metal forms (I use some ideally-sized cans that formerly held wasabi peas–both ends cut out) and add about 1/6 the batter to each form in the cast iron pan. When the bottom has “set” well, remove the forms and turn them to brown the other side. Then transfer the scones to a baking sheet in the oven. I was able to do three at a time this way, easily. The scones will slump a little but that’s OK.
- Make six scones up on a baking sheet (either as above or as with “drop” biscuits)
In about 10 minutes, they’re ready to pull from the oven, butter and disappear down appreciative gullets. The lemon zest isn’t overpowering, and the lemon juice souring the milk adds just a little lightness (acidic reaction with the baking powder) to the finished prooduct. The sugar assures that, eaten without jams or jellies, they’re a lightly sweet treat.
Of course, without the amendments (the lemon zest and poppy seeds—I’d still keep the lemon juice or use vinegar to sour the milk), these are just plain ole scones that can take any number of additions. My next experiment will likely be to out the butter/margarine for applesauce and add cinnamon, a pinch of freshly-ground nutmeg, a wee tad of (freshly-ground) cloves and some raisins. I’m betting that’ll be a hit, too.