Golden Scones

1 3/4 cup unbleached wheat flour
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 to 3 tablespoon sugar
2 to 4 tablespoon KAL nutritional yeast flakes or wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon orange/ lemon zest or baking spice; (see tips)
4 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup evaporated milk, cream, buttermilk or 1/2&1/2
1/3 cup dried fruits (optional, added when shaping)
OPTIONAL 1 tablespoon coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar for topping
ORglaze made with 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice and about ½ C powdered sugar
OR 1/2 cup warmed jelly or preserves for glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 15 minutes or more. These are baked about 14 minutes, till the bottoms are just brown (they brown before the tops). Butter or PAM a 10 inch round glass pie pan or cookie sheet.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, and the spice or zest. Tip: Baking spices include ground cinnamon or cardamon or nutmeg,pie spice, etc. If you are serving the scones with savory foods you can omit the sugar, use thyme, dill, or other dry green herbs, and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese instead of sugar before baking.

Then work in the butter with your fingers until it is a coarse crumb, but not melted. (I use a coarse kitchen grater to grate in frozen butter and then rub it together very quickly).

After the butter is blended, holding back 1 T beaten egg for the topping, stir the rest of the beaten egg into the milk. The total volume of liquid, including substitutions, should be 3/4 cup. Pour the liquid into the middle of the dry ingredients, stir a few turns with the spatula, just till all the flour is thoroughly moist. If this is very crumbly and you think "too dry", it is just right.

Turn the mix out onto a floured board or a board with oatmeal flakes, or ground nuts, pat out to about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle on the dried fruit, fold over making 3 or four layers, gently pat the edges square- remember, lightly, no pressure. You want high edges with visible layers.

Form a rectangle and cut into wedges or pat out into a circle nearly 1" thick (about 7 " diameter). Cut into 6 wedges with a clean or floured knife- cleaning the knife after each cut, so you don't press down or seal the edges. Good sharp cuts help it rise well. Transfer to the 10" baking pie dish or sheet with just a bit of space between the pieces, brush tops with remaining beaten egg (I use my fingers), then brush on the egg and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar or cinnamon sugar, seeds, or grated cheese. Put close together for softer sides. If you like crisper, place further apart on a regular cookie sheet.

Once formed and cut, scones will hold on baking tray for up to two hours BEFORE baking, or overnight covered in the refrigerator. If you are going to hold them, don't use an egg glaze.

Put onto a middle rack in the preheated oven and don't peek for at least 12 minutes. If you have an electric oven, make sure to put the pan in just after the bottom element stops heating, so the bottoms don't set/brown too quickly.

If you do not use a sugar sprinkle, glaze sweet scones as soon as they come out of the oven with a thin jam or powdered sugar glaze.

Eat or freeze within 24 hours, they turn into lumps if they sit too long.