White Scones

Makes 1 dozen
Calories: 275 per scone 

Recipe from Real Irish Food

Ingredients:

• 3 ¾ cups of flour plus more for kneading
• ½ t4easpoon salt
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ cup of butter (1 stick)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup of buttermilk
• ¼ cup of heavy cream

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a rimless baking sheet.
• Stir together the dry ingredients
• Cut the butter into pieces and use your fingers to rub it into the flour, or use two knives or a fork to cut it in, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Beat the egg and mix with the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the liquid all at once. Stir just until the dough is soft. Do not overmix!!
• Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out into it. Pat into a square about 1 inch thick and cut them into 12 squares. You can also cut the dough into circles with a biscuit cutter, but patting it gently and cutting it once into squares keeps the dough from being overworked and makes the scones tender.  
• Transfer to the baking sheet. You can brush the surface of each of the biscuits to give them sheen. Bake for 12- 14 minutes until puffed and golden. You can add 1 cup of raisins or golden raisins to the flour mixture after cutting in the butter to make fruit scones.