This is a basic scone recipe from my father's mother, my grandmother Elizabeth. It's a great one, but when my local grocer started carrying real buttermilk (not the fake, 'cultured' stuff in cartons) from the great Maine butter maker's Kate's Butter, I noticed a real boost in the rise of the scones and an increased tenderness in texture. I wanted to include a link for those who might want to check out the site and request your grocer carry it: http://www.kateshomemadebutter.com/Kates-Butter_buttermilk.html It's so nice to see a new product that I am excited to use. It's been as wonderful an addition to my pancakes and other baked goods, and is fantastic in mashed potatoes, homemade ranch dressing and a few sauces I make.
* When I use Kate's buttermilk in this recipe, I omit the salt, and reduce the amount of baking powder to 1 tsp
They toast or grill well. I usually add 1/2 cup of raisins, but they are delicious plain as well. The recipe doubles and triples well. You don't want to over work the dough, as that leads to tough scones. They keep well for days in a ziplock bag
Makes 6 scones