Lovely Scones

These scones are so lovely: for breakfast, afternoon tea, without sugar but a bit of cheese added in at lunch. If you don't do well with dairy you can substitute keffir as it is for some people more digestible than milk and cream. Heating it does kill all the good bacteria but still worth while as keffir seems to give a lovely rise. Remember with scones (and muffins) you don't want to overmix as it makes the product a little tough. Just blend to achieve a melty crumb.

Here's the basic scone recipe: to this you can add keffir or yogurt and milk in place of milk or cream; and/or 2 teaspoons grated orange plus 1/3 cup marmalade; 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 1/2 cup blueberries (frozen is fine); 1/2 cup raspberries; 1 mashed banana and a handful of chocolate chips (if doing banana chocolate scones reduce the milk by about a quarter cup then add back in by drops if necessary); 1/2 cup raisins and one grated lemon. We eat them a few times a month for breakfast: the chocolate banana ones are the favourites with the kids, I lean to the marmalade ones myself. Of course you want to serve them with lots of butter!

Scones

2 1/2 cups flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups milk or combination milk and cream or keffir or keffir and yogurt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend dry ingredients and rub the butter in. If you're adding berries or chocolate chips or raisins add them to the dry. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Then add the milk. Mix with a spoon till blended. If making the banana scones add the banana goop to the milk and don't forget to reduce the milk till you see the consistency of the batter.