Stephanie's Raisin Scones

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Put flour, baking powder, soda, nutmeg, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to mix well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules. Add raisins and sugar; toss to distribute evenly.

2. Add egg yolk to buttermilk in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork to blend. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and give 10 to 12 kneads. Cut dough in half. Knead each half briefly into a ball; turn smooth side up and pat into a 6 inch circle. Cut in 6 wedges, but do not separate wedges.

4. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until just broken up. Brush to top of each scone with the egg white, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. With a pancake turner, carefully transfer the two cut circles to an ungreased cookie sheet. If necessary, reshape circles so that the 6 wedges in each are touching. This will keep the raisins from burning.

5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until medium brown. Cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes pull the wedges apart and cover loosely with a dish towel.

Note: Egg white and sugar can be added before freezing the unbaked scones.

VARIATION: Coarse Whole-Wheat Raisin Scones: Replace 1 cup all- purpose flour with 1 cup whole-wheat flour, and add ½ cup miller’s bran to the flour mixture.

Omit nutmeg.