SCONES

Recently someone said that life is just like a roll of toilet paper, that the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. I must be getting close, for my days are just whizzing by. To keep occupied usefully, I've started a collection of scone recipes and am in the process of trying them all out with the ingredients I find in the pantry. This morning my refrigerator held only one egg and I had to snatch that from Freckles for she was going to use it for her breakfast. Nevertheless, I found a recipe using only ONE egg...MOCHA-CHOCOLATE CHIP!. It has been our little ritual of late to settle down to a cup of tea when she gets home from work, just shortly after five. It is so relaxing to have a scone with our tea, then our supper follows much later at around seven. Lily (her highness white/apricot toy poodle) developed a hankering for any crumbs that might fall her way, even growls softly, not a whimper, to alert us to her need.

Scones are easy...just dump all the dry things in a large bowl. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender. Make a well in the middle and then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir, scraping dry bits from the bottom. Turn out on a floured board and pat into about 3/4 inch thickness. Then cut squares or triangles or even cookie cutter rounds and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bskr at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. So far my favorite is good old:

IRISH SCONES
1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar (I increased to 1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 cup milk (I use evaporated skim milk)

You can also add chocolate chips, currants, raisins, dates or other dried fruits to the dough.

The recipe says to roll the dough out, but it is just as easy to pat it with floured hands so they don't stick.

Try them, you'll like them, even for breakfast.