Does Not Rhyme With Stone

Been outside recently? By choice?
It's nasty out there. Can't get off work, can't ski, and the snowballs won't pack. These are the days when you drag the stereo into the kitchen, close the door, and heat the oven.

Scones
It's pronounced Skahn, no O. Rhymes with nothing I know of. Overheard at the family reunion:

"Aye...you *can* call it a skown...but only if you're poncey. Or English."
"How can that be?" you say, "When I was in England everyone called it a Skown!" (1)

Yes, they did. But scones aren't English. You're thinking of crumpets.

Dry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp white sugar
2 tsp brown sugar
--1/3 cup walnuts, chopped finely (optional)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup butter (cold)

Wet:
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk or cream

Topping (2)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 tablespoons molasses [or treacle, better yet, Lyle's Golden Syrup- ejg]

Directions:

• Preheat oven.
  
• In a bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and walnuts.
  
• Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (3)
  
• Put the eggs and milk into the flour bowl, and stir until it's just mixed.
  
• Pat it into an 8 inch round on a floured surface (between 0.5" and 1" high).

• Brush or dribble the topping onto the dough circle.
  
• Cut the round into eight wedges.
  
• Separate the wedges and place them onto a greased cookiesheet. (5)
  
• Let the little wedges rest on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.
  
• Bake at 450 degrees(6) for 13-17 minutes, or until golden brown. 7)

Store them in a paper bag on the counter. If they get dry just toast 'em. I like to layer the bottom of the dough with raisins before I press it into a round.. When you press it out on the counter the raisins stick into the bottom and cook into the scones.(8)
---------------------------------------------------
(1) In hindsight this could have been directed at Z. It's not.

***If you're having trouble with your piecrust (also an un-yeasted bread type thingy) try rolling it out on a cold surface. The butter will flatten into sheets without melting into the dough. In the dripping height of summer in DC I have resorted to freezing the rolling pin and setting icepacks on the counter until it's chilled.