Cream Scones - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cold
3 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon water

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450.
Mix dry ingredients together, reserving 1 Tbsp sugar.
Cut butter into bits and rub into dry ingredients until thoroughly blended.
(Or pulse in food processor). Beat 2 eggs with cream, and blend into dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.
Use only a few more strokes to add raisins.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 10 times; no more. If it is very sticky, add a little flour, but very little; don't worry if it sticks a bit to your hands.
Press the dough into a 3/4 inch rectangle and cut into 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass.
Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again; this recipe will produce 10-14 biscuits.
Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoonful of water and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sugar.
Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown.
These keep better than biscuits, but should still be eaten the same day you make them.
Seven Easy Additions to Cream Scones:
--Stir one-half cup or more chopped nuts into the prepared batter.
--Use up to fifty percent whole wheat flour.
--Substitute fresh fruit (apples, pears, peaches), whole berries (blueberries, cranberries) or minced dried fruit (figs, apricots) for the raisins.
--Add one teaspoonful or more of cinnamon or ginger, or a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the dried ingredients.
--Add one-half cup grated cheese along with the eggs and cream; reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.
--Add minced fresh herbs to taste-dill, parsley, and chevril are especially good; reduce the sugar to one teaspoonful.
--Add one-half cup or more of minced cooked meat along with the eggs and cream; reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.