Letters to the Editor

[NickF]

My husband’s mom...or just “mom” to me, is from Ireland. One of her favorite things is drinking copious amounts of tea while sitting and chatting. Of course, tea must also be accompanied by treats. Over the years I’ve perfected many sweets, but the real test was making the perfect Irish scone. After years of tasting various recipes, she’s finally pronounced these scones as “perfect.”

Ingredients

• 1 stick frozen, grated butter
• 1/2 cup of fat free milk
• 1/2 cup of fat free sour cream
• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 Teaspoon of zest of lemon (zest is grated skin of orange or lemon)
• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 1/2 pint of blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

In small bowl, grate one stick frozen butter. This is a great trick I learned to easily incorporate butter evenly into the flour. Place back in the freezer. Wisk together milk and sour cream. Keep chilled until ready to use. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and sugar.

Take frozen butter and toss with the flour mixture until all of the butter is coated, fold in the sour cream milk mixture.

Lightly dust the countertop with flour. Knead the (slightly wet) dough about six times. Don’t over knead. Lightly flour the dough and roll out into a 12-inch square. Fold it in half and then in half again. Place in freezer for five minutes (you’re rechilling the butter to keep the pastry flaky). 

Dust your countertop with flour again and roll out the dough into another 12-inch square. Top evenly with blueberries and press in lightly. Variation: Dried cranberries and a thin layer of orange marmalade. 

Tip: Freeze fresh blueberries before using. This helps to keep the blueberries from “spreading” into the dough. “Roll up” the dough and cut into a series of small triangles. Brush with beaten eggs and sprinkle with sugar.

Place triangles on preheated cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.