If You’re Going to Begin Anywhere…

If you’re going to begin anywhere, it might as well be with scones.

Because that’s where I began.

There are recipes you make once because they sounded interesting.

And then there are recipes that quietly become part of your life before you even realize it’s happening.

This was one of those.

Scones became part of the rhythm of the tea room early on.

Not fancy.Not complicated.

Just warm from the oven with lemon curd, jam, or whatever happened to be nearby that day.

And over the years, I think I’ve learned something important about recipes.

The ones people return to most are rarely the complicated ones.

They’re the ones that feel familiar.

Basic Scones

Sift all dry ingredients together.

Cut in butter until crumbly.

(A food processor works too, but I still tend to do it by hand half the time.)

Add milk and stir until combined. The dough will be sticky.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently.

Don’t overwork it or the scones will get tough.

Roll to about ½-inch thick and cut into triangles or circles.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12–15 minutes.

Makes approximately one dozen depending on size.

You can add dried fruit, chocolate chips, orange zest, or just leave them exactly as they are.

Sometimes simple is the whole point.

They’re best warm.

Actually… most things are.

And next time, we’ll talk about lemon curd.

Because the two were never really meant to be separated.