Scones

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Editor’s Tip: You can use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the butter, but I always love just using my clean hands for better control.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk until blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the crumb mixture just until moistened.

Turn the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently knead the dough only 10 times. Editor’s Tip: When bread doughs use baking powder or baking soda, they can’t handle a lot of kneading as yeast doughs can or else they’ll turn out very tough. Be sure to count to 10 when kneading and then promptly stop. The dough will not be perfectly smooth. For those of you who’ve baked Irish soda bread before, you know what I’m talking about! Divide the dough in half, and pat each portion into a 5-inch circle. Cut each circle into six wedges.

Separate the wedges and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the scones until they’re golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Editor’s Tip: For extra browning, brush buttermilk or heavy cream on top of each scone before baking. You could also sprinkle turbinado sugar on top to add a coarse, sugary texture that glistens and gleams after baking.

Serve the scones while they’re still warm. Top with your favorite jam if desired.