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Bake until golden brown and puffed but dry to the touch on top, 13 to 15 minutes. Serve at once.

Buttermilk Biscuits: Reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons. Add 2 teaspoons baking soda with the remainder; substitute cold regular or low-fat buttermilk for the milk.

Cheese Biscuits: Add 2 ounces grated cheese with the flour. Harder, aged cheeses work best—an aged Gouda, Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, etc.

These two recipes will yield one or two extra biscuits.

Cream Scones with

Orange Glaze

Scones should be a cake and a biscuit all in one. Cream, although traditional, makes for a gummy scone, so we prefer half-and-half for a lighter—and better—crumb. For the best results, use cake flour. Makes 8 scones

3¼ cups cake flour, plus additional for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup half-and-half

½ cup dried currants or golden raisins

Orange Glaze (recipe follows)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, pressing the butter through the tines and into the flour until uniformly textured like very coarse sand.

Whisk the eggs and half-and-half in a medium bowl. Pour into the flour mixture; stir a few times with a wooden spoon, just until moistened. Stir in the currants or raisins, just until a batter starts to pull together but still lies in bits and pieces in the bowl.

Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, then turn the batter onto it. Knead a few times until the dough holds its shape. Should it be sticky, lightly dust your hands with flour. Be careful: for tender scones, you want to add the smallest amount of flour possible at this stage. Gently pat—do not roll—the dough into a circle about 9 inches wide. Cut it into 8 pie-shaped wedges and transfer these to a large baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned and somewhat firm to the touch, about 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cool completely and top with Orange Glaze.

To store: Once fully cooled, do not top with the glaze; instead, store in a ziplock plastic bag for up to 2 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Variations: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and/or ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg with the sugar.

Substitute chopped dried apples; chopped dried figs; chopped dried pineapple; chopped dried strawberries, dried blueberries, dried cranberries; or mini-chocolate chips for the dried currants or raisins.

Orange Glaze Makes about 1/3 cup

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ to ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

Mix the juice, zest, and melted butter in a small bowl; stir in just enough confectioners’ sugar so that a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle over the cooled scones before serving.

Maple Walnut Scones

Walnuts and maple syrup—is there a better combination? Makes 8 scones

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

½ cup cake flour, plus additional if necessary

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks

½ cup finely chopped toasted walnut pieces

1 large egg, at room temperature

½ cup yogurt (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

Mix both flours, the baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork, pressing the flour and butter together through the tines until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Stir in