Simple Scones

Directions

1. 1
   {"0":"1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.","1":"2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1\/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.","2":"3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.","3":"4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)","4":"5. Place on a lightly floured surgace and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3\/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.","6":"-Footnotes-","8":"~Cranberry-Orange Scones~","9":"Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous tsp of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.","11":"~Lemon-Blueberry Scones~","12":"Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous tsp of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.","14":"~Cherry-Almond Scones~","15":"Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1\/2 tsp almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins."}