Oatmeal Scones with Raisins

These raisin-studded scones are formed in a time-honored fashion, by rolling the dough into a flat round and then cutting it into wedges. If the wedges are left unseparated before baking, they will have crusty tops but tender sides; separating them by moving them an inch apart on the baking sheet will produce an all-over golden crust. Oatmeal scones are delicious with apples and a bit of cheese.

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, approximately
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter, well chilled
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup golden raisins

1 Preheat the oven to 400°.

2 In a food processor combine 1 1/3 cups of the flour, the oats, sugar, baking soda and salt.

3 Cut the butter into small pieces, add it to the dry ingredients and process, pulsing the machine on and off, 10 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the buttermilk and process another 10 seconds, or until the dough forms a ball. (To mix by hand, cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives, then add the buttermilk and stir until the dough forms a ball.)

4 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and gently knead in the raisins 1 minute, or until the dough is smooth.

5 Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into an 8 ½ inch disk about 1/2 inch thick. Place it on a baking sheet and with a sharp knife lightly score it into 8 wedges. (For scones with an all-over crust, cut the wedges apart completely and place them 1 inch apart.) Bake 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool slightly, then cut the scones along the scored lines. Serve warm.

Makes 8 scones

Nutrition Information (per serving) per scone:
calories 200 • total fat 7 g (saturated4 g) • cholesterol 16 mg • sodium 200 mg • dietary fiber 1 g • calcium 37 mg • iron 2 mg • potassium 142 mg