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Mildred’s daughter Veda has a message for you.

She wants you to eat her mother’s scones. And she wants you to make sure that you smother the scones in copious amounts of double cream and jam (preferably strawberry).

Dscn1819_1Why should you do what Veda says? In a review of the movie Mildred Pierce on www.dvdtalk.com, Glenn Erickson writes the following of Veda, "Audiences had certainly never seen a female reptile like Veda on screen before … Veda greedily consumes luxuries, pretending to love their source while constantly angling for a better deal … Veda takes the cake for sheer nerve. Her callous exploitation … is the work of a junior-league Borgia."

Still not convinced that you should do what Veda says? Well, let me put it to you this way:  she’s an evil, conniving, manipulating murderess who would stop at nothing … NOTHING … to have her way.

So if Veda says you should eat a scone … eat the scone.

Ciao!

Mildred’s Scones

Adapted from Out to Brunch by Donna Dooher and Claire Stubbs.

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/2 cup shortening, cold
  • 1/3 cup dried black currants
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup heavy cream (35%)
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
  3. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture.
  4. Break the shortening into little pieces and add to the mixture.
  5. With your fingertips, work the flour, butter and shortening together until it resembles a coarse, oatmeal-like mixture.
  6. Add the currants and lemon zest and stir.
  7. Add the cream and mix gently until a ball forms.
  8. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and either pat the dough or roll it out into a 1/2-inch circle.
  9. Using a 2-inch cutter, cut the dough into rounds.
  10. Transfer the rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the rounds with a bit of heavy cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
  11. Reroll the scraps and cut out more scones. If scraps are too small to roll out then pat them into circles of 1-inch thickness.
  12. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the scones have risen and are golden.
  13. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will yield 12 to 16 scones, depending on the size.

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