Traditional Cream Scones

These are traditional old-fashioned tea scones, not the new-fangled giant things that are so laden with flavors and chunks that you can barely taste the biscuit part. The bonus is that they are SO easy to make. I prefer them with no raisins or other fruit, because I like a plain scone slathered with jam. If you have access to imported Devon cream, use that in place of butter on these. This recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite books, The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional: 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, currants, cranberries, chopped apricots)

Glaze:
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use an ungreased cookie sheet.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Add dried fruit if using. With your fork, stir in the cream and mix until the dough holds together in a sticky mass.

Lightly flour a board and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough eight or nine times. Pat it into a circle about ten inches round (you want the dough to be kind of thick). For the glaze, spread the butter over the top of the dough then sprinkle sugar on top. Cut the circle into 12 wedges (I prefer circles, so I use a biscuit cutter or a 3" circle cookie cutter with fluted edge).

Place on the cookie sheet an inch apart, and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. These are best served shortly after baking, or at least the same day. These are not something you want to make a day ahead.

Serve with butter (or Devon Cream) and strawberry jam. For a "proper pot of tea" to go with them, see the recipe section.