Stir and Bake Sweet Milk or Buttermilk Scones
Sweet Milk Scones
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda**
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1/3 cup raisins or crasins (dried cranberries)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
Buttermilk Scones
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda**
2 Tbs sugar
1/3 cup raisins or crasins (dried cranberries)
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1/4 cup cooking oil
Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and sugar together into a bowl.
Mix well. Stir raisins or crasins into dry ingredients and mix well.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients to receive the liquid ingredients.
In the same measuring cup, pour in 1/2 cup of milk or buttermilk and then
pour in the 1/4 cup of oil over it to make 3/4 cup total liquid, but don’t stir.
Pour the measuring cup of liquid, all at once, into the center of the flour mixture in bowl.
Stir with a fork until mixture cleans sides of bowl and rounds up into a ball.
Knead dough ball 5 or 10 times in bowl to bring everything together.
Add a little more milk or flour as needed to make a non-sticky dough that holds together.
Scoop out 1/3 cup portions of dough and with your hands, form each into a
1/2 inch high flattened circle or flattened triangle and place on baking sheet.
Allow room between each scone for rising in oven.
Bake in a preheated 425-degrees F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until tops are slightly browned and centers are done.
Makes about 6 to 8 scones.
[i]*To make sour milk, place 1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in
measuring cup and add enough milk to equal 1/2 cup. Stir and let stand 5
minutes to thicken.
Or just thin some plain yogurt with a little milk and use that instead.
** The baking soda in the sweet scones promotes browning and adds to
flavor. The baking soda in the buttermilk scones reacts with buttermilk/sour
milk to enhance rising in addition to adding to browning and flavor.
Adapted from Wesson Oil biscuit recipe; Charleston, SC - News and Courier, December 1, 1950[/i]