carl's buttermilk scones

How To Make carl's buttermilk scones

• Step 1
  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Step 2
  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir together with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using a pastry blender (or your fingertips), work the but¬ter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is coarse.
• Step 3
  Add the zest and mix until the flour separates the zest and it isn’t sticking together in a clump. Then add the dried fruit and stir it through the dry ingredients.
• Step 4
  Pour the juice into the buttermilk so the combination makes about 1 cup. Slowly pour that liquid mixture into the dry ingredients 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 too dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.)
• Step 5
  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 or so turns. Cut the dough in half for ease in rolling. Roll out each half of the dough so that it is about ¼” thick. I use a biscuit cutter so that the scones are smaller—I think the usual triangles are too large.
• Step 6
  Set the scones on a baking sheet or jellyroll pan—use aluminum foil for easy clean up. Mix the melted butter and the splash of cream together and paint it on the top of each scone. Then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
• Step 7
  Bake the scones 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.
• Step 8
  If you used an orange, use orange marmalade for the spread. If you used a lemon, use lemon curd for the spread.
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