Scones

Adapted from Alice Waters' "The Art of Simple Food," these puppies are seriously easy to whip up. Also, I usually make a batch and keep them at work for a great breakfast, even in the midst of craziness.

Besides being nice and crunchy around the edges and they're not too dense or sweet. Instead of dried apricots, try dried cherries, cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, or, my next choice when I make these scones, frozen cranberries.


Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (you can use regular sugar or the darker, all-natural sugar aka Demerara sugar, which is what I used)
1/2 cup dried fruit (optional, and of your choice) or, alternatively, fresh berries or frozen ones.


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Measure, and mix together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Stir in the cream, and mix until the dough just starts to come together, it will be wet and sticky. Stir in (optional) the fruit at this point, if you wish. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly, just until the dough is brought completely together and the fruit is well-distributed.

Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle, and brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle the dough with the sugar, and cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place wedges approximately 1-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment, wax paper, or a silicone liner.

Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown along the edges.