I'm a tea party kind of girl. There is nothing I love more than chintz and Royal Doulton and Staffordshire and roses ... and the idea of tea. While my home no longer reflects this love, a house full of my men and china don't mix superbly, so I've found Pottery Barn works much better for them. However, I travel as often as I can to Victoria and soak in all the old English, tea loving rituals I possibly can.Here is a recipe for one of my favorite tea party standards. For Valentine's Day, I make them into the shape of hearts and will serve on the morning of. Enjoy!
Buttermilk Scones
Makes 12
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (or 6 ounces) cold butter, diced
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest
1/2 stick butter, melted, for brushing scones
1/4 cup sugar, for dusting scones
1/2 cup currants or 1/3 cup raisins
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a fork. Add cold butter and using fingers or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles course meal. If larger pieces of butter remain, that will only add to the texture and flavor.
Pour buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix only until moistened. Gently gather the dough into a ball shape and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough slightly and cut in half.
Take one half of your dough and press or roll it into a disc shaped 7-inch piece. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and half of your dried fruit. Cut the circle into 6 triangles. Place on an ungreased, parchment lined baking sheet and set aside while you prepare the second disc.
Bake the scones on the middle rack in your oven for 10-12 minutes and until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack for cooling. Serve warm and with tea. My favorite? PG Tips.
These scones freeze exceptionally well for about a month.
