aesthetics of hunger: breakfast, etc

Fannie Farmer's Cream Scones [Without the Cream, and other adaptations.] Cheap and easy for houseguests or breakfast guests or as a hostess gift with jam or nice honey. They don't keep well, but we toast day-old leftovers and eat them with eggs.

Sift into a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons tartrate-type baking powder or 2 teaspoons "double action" type
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Using fingers, a pastry mixer or a fork [I use the side of a knife to press chunks of butter through the tines of a fork it's easy and I'm no pastry chef], work in:
1/4 cup butter

Into another bowl, break:
2 eggs

Reserve a small amount of the egg white for topping. [I don't.] Beat the rest and add to the flour mixture with:
1/2 cup milk [I measure the milk into a 2 cup measure, then break the eggs into that, beat and then add.]

1. Add a little more milk, if needed to make the dough just firm enough to handle but still soft.
2. Turn out onto a floured [surface. Knead 1/2 minute. Pat and roll into a flat circle. Cut like a pie, into 8 wedges. Bake wedges on any old thing - a cookie dish, a casserole dish, whatever.] Bake 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees.
3. Again, add as you will lemon zest or lemon or orange extract or poppyseeds or nuts or dried fruits or old wizened apples, or cheese or herbs if you want to eat these eggs. Otherwise, they are good with honey, jam or butter. And hot coffee.

Seafood Shortcake. Or, a scone with tomato fish sauce.


Categories: food, material, gustatory