Buttermilk Scones with Dried Currants

Buttermilk Scones with Dried Currants
Adapted from Once Upon a Tart

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time:25-30 minutes

Makes 10 scones

Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 ½ sticks (20 tbsp) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ¼” pieces
2 large eggs
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried currants

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few of times to combine.

3. Add the chilled butter all at once and run the processor for 15 seconds or so. Switch to pulse and continue pulsing until there are no chunks of butter and the mixture looks like moist crumbs. Be careful not to over mix. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk a little more to blend and then add the currants.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a wooden spoon to mix it all together. It starts out dry but as the authors say…"don’t give up or add more liquid". It takes a little elbow grease, but it will form a dough. All the flour should be incorporated but it will still come together. They also say to stop as soon as the flour is no longer visible….too much working of the dough is not a good thing.

6. Use a ½ cup measure or your hands to scoop the batter and “plop” it onto the baking sheet (I did pat them together a bit first), leaving 2” between scones.

7. Bake in the center of your oven until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.