Irish Scones for your St. Patrick's Day Breakfast!

What makes these scones Irish you ask? Well, scones are an Irish tea-time staple, and then there's me! I'm Irish, (100%, and of the McGeehan/O'Farrell variety), and I'm making them! It's a basic scone recipe -- no currants, no raisins -- nothing more than a cup of flour, cold butter, a little bit of sugar, an egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract along with the necessary baking powder and salt. That is IT. The mixture comes together in shaggy mess and gets kneaded, folded, and shaped into a perfect circle and divided into six segments. Of course, you can add your favorite ingredients to make this recipe your own over and over again! The batch featured here in this post was wrapped up and delivered to my good, good, good and beautiful friend Claire, since today is her birthday. Perhaps scones are not traditional birthday fare, but Claire was very happy to receive them! I hope she enjoys one in the morning with a great cup of tea.

St. Patrick's Day is Sunday, and what could be better to enhance your Sunday morning brunch than a plate of warm, just-baked scones? Add a pot of strawberry jam or lemon curd, clotted cream if you can find it, and luxuriate in a very fine breakfast, indeed! As basic as they are, scones are the epitome of pretty food!

IRISH SCONES
Oven 375 degrees Farenheit
Makes 6 beautiful scones!

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons ice cold butter, grated
1/4 cup buttermilk (or 2 tsp. vinegar and enough milk to equal 1/4 cup, let sit for a few minutes)
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Stir in grated butter.

Mix buttermilk with beaten egg and vanilla.

Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, tossing it all lightly with a fork just until dry particles are incorporated. Put bowl in freezer for 10 minutes to make sure the butter stays well-chilled. Take out of freezer and dump out onto floured surface.

Knead 5 times or so by folding batter over itself and pressing down to create layers. Form into round disk about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into sixths, creating 6 wedges. Place wedges on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until scones are nicely puffed and golden brown on the bottom.

Remove from oven to wire rack. Serve warm with jam and/or clotted cream!

Enjoy, and from this Irish girl, my very best wishes for a grand St. Patrick's Day!

Couldn't be simpler!

Happy Birthday Claire, and Happy St. Patrick's Day to All of You!