The Ultimate Scone Challenge

From Kelly:  

I can't resist a culinary challenge.  Recently I was given one by my sister-in-law Jill.  She got a recipe for chocolate chip scones from a friend and they weren't quite right.  So she asked me, your local friendly recipe-tester, to see what I could do. 

I started out making the original recipe.  I could see what Jill meant about them not being sweet enough.  Then I made my mom's scone recipe (but added choc. chips) to compare.  That one wasn't quite right, either.  I started forming a hypothesis that the cream of tartar in these recipes lended a bitter taste.  I also learned that cream of tartar+baking soda=the same thing as baking powder.  So I searched the internet for a scone recipe without c.o.t.  Lo and behold, on recipezaar.com I came across a recipe for the world famous Puyallup Fair (Fisher brand) scones which I love so much (and am very attached to since I am from Puyallup).  There were two versions with slight variation, so I made them both and found which one is just right.  These don't have chocolate chips, and I must say these are so good they don't need chocolate, just butter and raspberry jam.  Make sure your oven is hot and the ingredients are cold.

 Here it is, the best scone recipe ever (so far):

 2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder (make sure it's still active)

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, chilled

3 Tbs. shortening, chilled

3/4 cup milk (at least 2%) or buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Sift and measure flour.  The flour must be sifted, otherwise you'll use too much flour and the scones will be tough.  Put a measuring cup on top of some wax paper and use another cup to shake the flour into the first.  Dump the leftovers on the wax paper back into the container.  This process seems like overkill, but it does make a difference to the final product.

3.  Mix in baking powder, sugar and salt.

4.  Cut in the butter and shortening.  You can rub it in with your fingers as long as they're cold and you work fast.  Or use a pastry cutter.

5.  Make a well in the dry mixture and add the milk, stirring in with a fork, until just moist.

6.  When the mixture has barely come together, turn out onto a floured board.  If there are still dry crumbs on the bottom of the bowl, don't add more milk, just press them into the top of the dough.

7.  Fold over the dough just a couple times--don't overwork!

8.  Divide into two balls.  Form them into domes, then cut into 4 wedges.

9.  Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 12-14 min.

10.  To serve:  split in half, slather with butter and raspberry preserves and scarf down like there's no tomorrow.  OR top with strawberries and whipped cream.

****I have pictures but currently this program is not letting me upload them.  Stay tuned!