CURRANT TEA SCONES (4)

 

2 tablespoons boiling water

1 tea bag, such as English Breakfast

½ cup dried currants

1 cup all purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon sugar

½ stick (4 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

6 tablespoons half and half, plus more for brushing

 

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1.Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400*. Butter a small baking sheet.

2. Pour boiling water into a small cup, add tea bag and steep for 2 minutes. Remove bag and squeeze excess back into cup. Stir in currants.

3. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar into a medium bowl. Add butter and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with small lumps of butter (pea sized). Add half and half and stir with a fork until a sticky dough forms. Stir in currant mixture.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form a 5 inch round. Transfer round to buttered baking sheet and brush lightly with half and half. Sprinkle dough with the remaining ½ teaspoon sugar. Score into quarters, making ¼ inch deep cuts with a sharp knife.

5. Bake scones until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, breaking scones along score marks.

 

from Ruth Reichel (editor), The Gourmet Cookbook