Page 223 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

pea-sized butter throughout. Stir in the zest and make a well in the

center of the flour mix.

3 Add the beaten egg to the well. Mix the bitters and half-and-half

together. Pour that into the well also. Stir it all up with a fork until just

combined. The dough will be damp and a little sticky (don’t work it
too much, because that can make the scones tough).

4 Shape the dough into a ball with your hands, making sure to press
any stray bits from the bottom of the bowl into the ball. Place it on

the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a 7½- to 8-inch round

disk. Use a sharp knife to score the dough into triangles. Cut about
halfway through the dough to ensure that the lines don’t disappear

while baking (cutting halfway through without completely separating
allows the scones to retain more moisture than if they were baked as

individual triangles, while still keeping the lines of the individual

portions visible).

5 Brush the top of the dough with milk and sprinkle on the ¾

teaspoon sugar.

6 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the center is fully set and the top

is golden brown. Don’t worry if the top browns well before the center

is finished. The crust sets a bit early, but it shouldn’t burn. Instead,
keep an eye on the center. If it looks wet and uncooked, leave it in

the oven. Once the center has just begun to look fully set, take it out.

7 Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, slice

along the lines you scored earlier.

Serve warm with Devonshire cream and jam while solving a tough case!

* Blood oranges are in season from December to May.