Buttermilk Scones

In the 90s, my husband and I gave gift baskets with homemade butter scones to family members attending our wedding reception.  We used a recipe from Perkins Pretty Good Grocery entitled "Cinnamon Nut Scones" that had been published in Bon Appetite magazine.   I added a second cranberry orange variation to the recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tablespoon heavy cream.

Variations:

Cinnamon Walnut 

1 Tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cranberry Orange

1 Tablespoon orange zest 

1/2 cup died cranberries

Juice an orange

Into a bowl sift together the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda, the salt, and optionally the cinnamon or orange zest depending on which variation you choose.  Add the butter and blend the mixture until it resembles meal.  Stir in either the walnuts or cranberries depending on the variation you choose.   Add the buttermilk and combine the mixture until it just forms a sticky but manageable dough.  On a well floured surfae knead the dough lightly for 30 seconds and pat it gently into a 1/2-inch-thick round.  Cut out rounds with a 3-inch cutter dipped in flour and arrange the schones on an unbuttered baking sheet.  In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (if making the cinnamon walnut variation), and the cream, brush the tops of the schones with the mixture, and bake the scones in the middle of a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden.  Serve the scones warm.  Makes about 10 scones.