Scones have ancient origins, said to have originated in Scotland, just like Fiona.
Scones have been around since the 16th century, and though they were originally made from low quality ingredients, in the 17th century, an enterprising baker improved on the recipe, and they became lighter and softer.
In the 18th century, scones made their way into upper-class social gatherings and households, and as the culture of tea time and afternoon tea spread across the UK, they became indispensable in the UK as a luxurious sweet served at tea time.
There are various theories about the origin of the word scone. One theory being that the name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word ``sgonn'', which means ``toasted loaf'' or ``scorched loaf''. There is also a theory that ancient scones were baked with the motif "The Stone of Destiny."
Fiona loved to eat these home made biscuits with a lot of butter and jam. Scones are a real pleasure at tea time throughout England, and of course here too.
Ingredients
makes 6
11/2 cups all in purpose flour
1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), chilled and cut into small pieces
3/4 cups sour milk or butter milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Mix and sift all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add butter into the flour in your mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. Then add the sour milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball. Don't over knead.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat two more times.
Gently pat out the dough to make the shape of a rectangle roughly 8 inches by 6 inches.
Cut the dough into biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter.
Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
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