Scones I Would Drop-Kick A Nun For…

“Red berries shine here and there in the latices of Minor Canon Corner; Mr. and Mrs. Tope are daintily sticking sprigs of holly into the carvings and sconces of the Cathedral stalls, as if they were sticking them into the coat-button-holes of the Dean and Chapter. Lavish profusion is in the shops: particularly in the articles of currants, raisins, spices, candied peel, and moist sugar.”

-Charles Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Soft Blueberry Scones with Orange-Honey-Butter

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_ _ I am generally an awkward and easily embarrassed human being; if you ever find yourself walking down a hallway in my direction, prepare yourself for the weird dance that we’ll do, as I inevitably will try to get around you while accidentally mirroring your every move… Because of this I developed the verbal tick of apologizing for everything- to the point of being annoying- if someone slapped me across the mouth I’d be tempted to say “sorry” for getting in the way of their open fist…

_ _ I have never been less sorry, however, than when eating these scones. Amendment: I was sorry I made these in lieu of going to the gym today, but I apologized to my love handles and they forgave me.

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Ingredients:

FOR THE SCONES:

2 cups Flour

1/3 cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/8 tsp Salt

8 tbsp Butter, frozen and cubed

*Note: if you use unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt added to 1/4 tsp

1/2 cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

1 large Egg

1/2 cup Dried Blueberries (or craisins, currants, raisins… whatever tickles your fancy)

1 tbsp Sugar (reserved for sprinkling)

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FOR THE ORANGE HONEY BUTTER:

4 tbsp Butter, softened to room temperature

2 tsp Honey

1 tbsp Orange Zest

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Preheat oven to 400°F

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Basically all the dry ingredients- I should have just said that from the start.

2. In a food processor, add the dry ingredient mixture and the frozen, cubed butter and pulse together until thoroughly combined.

3. Add the sour cream and egg and mix in the food processor until it formed a cohesive dough. You can add the dried fruit and use the processor to mix it in, or you can fold them in by hand.

4. On a floured surface, turn out the dough and form into a flat disc, about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with an extra tablespoon of sugar and pat it down so it sticks. With a sharp knife cut the dough into 8 slices and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops of the scones are just barely turning golden brown.

6. While the scones are baking, mix together the softened butter, honey and orange zest and put it in the fridge to firm up slightly.

*Serve warm and let the orange butter melt over the top!