from williams-sonoma

NOTE: THESE ARE FUCKING AWESOME!

A Scottish quick bread, scones may have derived their name from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. Other sources claim that the word comes from schoonbrot or sconbrot, meaning "fine white bread." Scones were traditionally made with oats and cooked on a griddle, while modern versions are generally prepared with flour and baked in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Zest of 1 orange

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease scone pan.

In the a large bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. Transfer to In a large bowl, add the currants and stir to mix. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cream and orange zest until blended and add to the flour mixture Using a fork, -- or use Nori's version by making a pit in the dry mix and whisking à la my dad's gravy/mashpotato volcano -- stir to form large, moist clumps of dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press together with your hands until the dough comes together. Roll out the dough, flouring as needed, into a 10-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 12 equal-size wedges and press each wedge into a well of the prepared pan. Dance while baking. Bake until the scones are golden, about 25 minutes.

Invert the pan onto a wire rack and lift off the pan. Let the scones cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 scones. Eat immediately with tea.

Adapted from a recipe given to Chuck Williams by Judy Rodgers, Executive Chef and Co-Owner, Zuni Café, San Francisco.

Annotated by Claire Weiß