My friend recently showed me how to make scones, and they're really quite yummy. Today someone asked me to e-mail her the recipe, so I figured I'd post it here as well. NB: Don't be fooled by the date -- these scones are not kosher for Passover.


Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups flour. I use a mix of regular white flour and King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour (made from a different variety of wheat that's as nutritious as regular whole wheat without being bitter or tough).


• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp sugar


• 5 tbsp butter at room temperature - soft but not melted


• 3/4 cups "milk" (your choice: evaporated milk, buttermilk, half and half, regular non-skim milk, soy milk, or even water mixed with some whole-fat plain yogurt)


• (optional) fresh strawberries, blueberries, raisins, currants, chocolate chips, etc. Strawberries should be sliced fairly thinly.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° and raise oven rack toward the top (but not the very top). Mix dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cut up butter and blend by hand into flour mixture, until it reaches a uniform granular texture. Add fruit if desired.

Slowly add "milk" and blend by hand until the mixture is doughy. You don't need to add the entire 3/4 cups if the mixture doesn't need it.

Roll or flatten the dough on a clean surface. Add flour as needed to make the dough less sticky. Don't handle the dough more than necessary. You can either shape the dough in little pie-wedges, or you can cut out little circles with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 450° until lightly golden on top. Remove from oven -- if they don't seem completely done inside you can let them sit for a few minutes while they continue to cook a bit more. Eat promptly!