Orange Poppy Seed Scones

Ever have those days when there is no dessert that sounds "just right?" I've had those days, and that's when I know it is time to mix things up and have a change in what I serve my family and guests.

A great change of pace is to make scones. If done right, scones are light, fluffy, and can melt in your mouth. (They are wonderful when served with soft butter.) Best of all, they aren't that hard to make. Here are the ingredients that you need:

• 2-1/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of butter, chilled
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup of grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

The first thing you have to do is stir the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together. The next thing you need to do is cut the butter in to the dry ingredients. If you don't know what it means to cut the butter in, then keep reading this next part. Cutting butter into dry ingredients means basically means to mix the butter in. The best way to cut in butter is to use a pastry blender, but if you do not have a pastry blender, then you can use butter knives. If you use butter knives, then use them to slice the butter and mix it in. The mixture should resemble coarse meal.

Put the dry ingredients aside for a few minutes, and stir the juice, egg, and the grated orange peel. You don't even need a mixer for this recipe, because all you have to do is stir with a whisk and make sure that all of the ingredients are well combined. The next thing that you need to do is combine the juice mixture with the dry ingredient combination, stirring to combine them properly. The dough, just so you know ahead of time, will be quite sticky.

Take the dough out and pat the dough into a nine-inch circle in the center of an already greased baking sheet. The layer of dough should be evenly spread. Now take an egg white and glaze the dough, if you want. Use pizza cutter to cut the dough circle into eight wedges. Bake the dough for twenty to twenty-five minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees. When the scones are finished, they should be lightly browned and if you stick a toothpick in them, it should come out clean.

Enjoy your variation of delicious orange poppy seed scones!