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At the tea-table all over England, the debate continues: do you spread the preserves, then the cream on your scone, or do you do it the other way around? Scones are connected traditionally with England, Scotland, and Ireland, but nobody knows which country invented them. However, the first known mention of a scone that was printed, is from the translation of The Aeneid (1513) written by a Scottish poet, Gavin Douglas. In Scotland, scones are closely related to the griddle-baked flatbread, known as Bannock.

Image and text courtesy of the DBE Colorado 2021 Calendar

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ cup raisins, or currants

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 8 fluid ounces buttermilk

• 4 ounces of butter, cut into small pieces

• 2-3 Tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425⁰ F.

2. Grease and flour a baking sheet.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the cut butter and rub in until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

5. Add the sugar and raisins and mix together.

6. To the dry mixture, add the buttermilk and mix together using the blunt end of a knife. Add enough milk to make a soft, but not too sticky, dough.

7. Turn out onto a floured surface and lightly knead.

8. Form the dough into a round, approximately ¾-1 inch thick.

9. Using a 2”, straight-edged cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2” rounds.

10. Place on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

11. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until risen and golden.

12. Serve warm with cream and fruit preserves.

Notes

• Makes 12 scones

• The sugar and raisins can be replaced with ¾ cup of cheddar cheese for a savory scone