Sunlight, Sunday Morning, Scones

Sunshine peeking through the blinds woke me up this morning. Well, to be honest, the text from my roommate did but...sunlight woke me up the second time. Something about it made me crave my family's big weekend brunches. My mother will make scones, coffee cake, Züpfe (a Swiss braided bread similar to Challah), or some other sort of breakfast bread. We will get out a variety of different cheeses and fruit. Then, the whole family sits down to a leisurely breakfast. If it is warm, which in North Carolina is almost year round, we will move everything onto the back porch, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the fresh air. I love these brunches. It is always nice to be with my family and it brings back wonderful memories of our years spent in Switzerland.

This morning, I decided that I could at least replicate the food of these brunches. I made some Scones, got out the Brie, brewed some strong coffee and climbed onto the couch to watch TV with my roommates. So, not exactly the same as breakfast at my parent's house but...at least I had scones! The scones were good but like all things never as good as my mother's. I adapted the original recipe from The Best of Priscilla's English Tea Room. This tea room was in Hillsborough, North Carolina but, unfortunately, closed and I can find no reference online. I have adapted it for only two to three people. I sometimes add cinnamon to add some extra flavor.






The English Scone
(adapted from The Best of Priscilla's English Tea Room)

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. Blend dry ingredients with butter using a pastry cutter until the butter is in very small pieces and fully incorporated.
4. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk. Mix until just incorporated. Dough will be sticky and moist.
5. Place on a floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Mine ended up being about 8" x 4" x 1/2". Cut down the middle and cut each half into triangles (about 8 per side).
6. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until browned.
7. Serve with honey, jam, butter, lemon curd... I prefer honey!

P.S. Do you not have a pastry cutter? My sister gave me one for Christmas this past year. I always ask for new kitchen gadgets for presents. Before this wonderful tool entered my life, I would use two kitchen knifes to cut the butter when making scones, biscuits and other such bake goods. In order to do this, hold a knife in each hand with the blades pointed down and out. Cross the blades over the butter and then pull out cutting the butter. Continue this crossing method, mixing the butter with the flour mixture until the butter is in small enough pieces and throughly mixed in with the flour.