Look, Ma, I baked!

Or more appropriately in this case, Look, Pa, I baked! Today is my father's 65th birthday, and I made him some currant scones to celebrate. My dad really likes to have a pastry with his morning coffee, be it a muffin or banana bread or something along those lines, and it's somewhat of a tradition that I bake him scones on his birthday. Unfortunately, I lost my favorite scone recipe, which uses lots of butter, honey and cinnamon, so earlier tonight I tried a new recipe, from The Best Recipe. True to the book's title, they came out quite well. Here they are prior to baking, brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with sugar:

















And after having emerged from the oven, burnished and smelling wonderfully, 14 minutes later:

















Of course I needed to taste one for quality control purposes. Luckily, my dear friend Sophie came over to assist me in this onerous task. We chose to enjoy the scone with blackberry jam:

















Soft, flaky and light, these scones were not as rich as my usual recipe, but were delicious nonetheless. It was hard to stop at just one.

Sweet Milk Scones
Adapted from The Best Recipe
Makes 8 scones

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. sugar in a bowl and whisk together. Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.
3. Add 4 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, to the dry ingredients. If using your hands, work the butter in as quickly as possible, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If using the food processor, pulse until the mixture reaches this stage.
4. Add 3/4 whole milk and stir until just combined. If using the food processor, pulse just until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl.
5. Add 1/2 cup of desired flavoring, such as chopped nuts or dried fruit, and stir to incorporate. I used currants that I had reconstituted in hot water and a dash of Calvados (apple brandy).
6. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a square that is 1/2" thick. Cut into four squares, and cut each square into two triangles. Place the scones 1 1/2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Optional: brush the scones with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake the scones for 10-15 minutes or until they are lightly browned. They're best enjoyed hot!