BUTTERMILK SCONES

This recipe from Marion Cunningham can be found in  Baking with Julia : Sift, Knead, Flute, Flour, And Savor... by Dorie Greenspan

(12 triangular or 24 rolled scones)

Think of scones as British biscuits. They are made in a manner similar to biscuits and, in fact, share biscuits' buttery-layered texture, but their name, their shape and the fact that they're served with tea rather than gravy lift them to the level of fancier fare.

Here are scones two ways: the traditional triangle and the rolled -- tender buttermilk dough rolled around chopped fruits, nuts, and/or jam. Whichever way you choose, they're luscious: a la the British, with tea and whipped cream, or served the American way, with coffee and a gloss of jam.

FOR THE SCONES:

	3 cups all-purpose flour
	1/3 cup sugar
	2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
	1/2 teaspoon baking soda
	3/4 teaspoon salt
	1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
	1 cup (approximately) buttermilk
	1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest

FOR THE TOPPING:

	1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
	1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

FILLING FOR ROLLED SCONES:

4 tablespoons jam or jelly and/or 4 tablespoons diced or small plump dried fruits, such as currants, raisins, apricots or figs (optional)

Position the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

For the scones: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using your fingertips (the first choice), a pastry blender or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. It's okay if some largish pieces of butter remain -- they'll add to the scones' flakiness.

Pour in 1 cup buttermilk, toss in the zest, and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened -- you'll have a soft dough with a rough look. (If the dough looks dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.) Gather the dough into a ball, pressing it gently so that it holds together, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead it very briefly -- a dozen turns should do it. Cut the dough in half.

For triangular-shaped scones: Roll one half of the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick circle that is about 7 inches across. Brush with half of the melted butter for the topping, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and cut the circle into 6 triangles. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet and set aside while you roll out the other half.

For the rolled scones: Roll one half of dough into a strip 12 inches long and 1/2 inch thick (the piece will not be very wide). Spread the strip with half of the melted butter for the topping and dust with half of the sugar. If you want to spread the roll with jam and/or sprinkle it with dried fruits, now's the time to do so; leave a narrow border along one long edge bare. Roll the strip up from the other long side like a jelly roll; pinch the seam closed and turn the roll seam-side down. Cut the roll in half and cut each piece into six 1-inch-wide roll-ups. Place the rolled scones cut-side down on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack to cool slightly. These are best served warm but are just fine at room temperature.

If you're not going to eat the scones the same day, wrap them airtight and freeze; they'll stay fresh for a month. To serve, defrost the scones at room temperature in their wrappers, then unwrap and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

Per triangular serving: 248 calories, 4 gm protein, 31 gm carbohydrates, 12 gm fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 7 gm saturated fat, 213 mg sodium