Apricot scones

I love scones, the traditional kind - baked with bits of fruit.  Scones are great in the morning, a nice surprise for a weekend breakfast.  But they are equally comforting as an afternoon snack.

Here is one of my favorite scone recipes:

Apricot Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated orange or lemon zest
1/2 cup finely chopped, dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a fork.  Add the cold butter pieces and using your fingertips work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  It's okay if some butter remain, they'll add to the flakiness.

Pour in one cup buttermilk and apricots, toss in the zest and mix with the fork only until the ingredients are just moistened.  Gather the dough into a ball and press it gently together.  Turn it on a lightly floured board and knead it very briefly.  You don't want to handle the dough much to prevent the scones from being "tough."  Cut the dough in half and roll half on a floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes until both the tops and bottoms are golden brown.  Cool slightly.  Serve either warm or at room temp. 

If you aren't going to eat the scones on the day they are made, wrap tightly and freeze.  They will stay fresh for a month.  To serve, defrost the scones at room temperature in their wrappers, then unwrap and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven. 
These are so delicious!