Homemade scones, hot from the oven — crispy on the outsides and crackling with a crust of sanding sugar, tender and pillowy with a tang of buttermilk in the center — are one of life’s divine pleasures. Growing up, scones in my house were made always with tart black Zante currants. But the other day, when I went to my local Ralph’s grocery store, I couldn’t find any currants. I may have muttered a word along the lines of, “Drats,” under my breath. (It might not have quite that polite, come to think of it.) So, employing my favorite line from one of my favorite movies, Little Women, I got home, announced to the empty room: “Necessity is the mother of invention!” and proceeded to assemble all the makings for these rich scones, with raisins instead.
Still warm and served with lots of good jam and a steaming cup of English tea, this is a surprisingly simple fix for those mornings that you want to make a little extra special, or for an afternoon snack when a complete high tea at Harrods in London isn’t quite in the cards.
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 4 Tablespoons sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups cold, unsalted butter (¾ pound)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup raisins
For the topping:
- ¼ cup cream or milk
- ¼ cup sanding sugar
Preheat the oven to 400°. Whisk together the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the salt. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, quickly cut in the butter until the mixture forms small nubs the size of peas. Stir in the raisins, mixing to distribute them evenly. Next combine the eggs and the buttermilk, and add to the flour mixture, stirring to incorporate. Turn the sticky dough out onto a board sprinkled with flour, and with floured hands, gently pat or roll the dough out to either a rectangular shape or a circle of about an inch thickness. Cut the scones into triangles of the desired size. Brush the scones with the cream or milk and sprinkle them liberally with the additional sugar. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are done.
