Scottish Griddle Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter or shortening
1 egg, beaten
about 7 tbsp milk (almost 1/2 cup)
Pinch salt

1. Sift together dry ingredients in
a bowl. Cut in butter or shortening
until texture is like fine meal.
Combine egg with all but 1 tbsp of
the milk. Make a well in the center
of the dry ingredients. Add egg-milk
mixture, mix lightly with fork, to
form fairly stiff dough. Add more milk
if necessary.

2. Gather dough together gently with
lightly floured hands to form a ball.
Turn out on a lightly floured board.
Roll out circle of dough aobut 1/2-inch
thickness. Cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges.

3. Rub a round griddle (or skillet) lightly
with unsalted lard or shortening. Heat over
medium heat. Place scones on hot griddle,
cook over medium heat, turn once to brown
on both sides after 5 or 6 minutes.
Cooking directly on the griddle takes
10 - 12 minutes, total. Watch closely so
scones do not cook too rapidly.
To test for doneness, press down lightly
with fingers to see that dough does not
ooze out from edges.

4. Serve at once with butter and strawberry
jam for breakfast or tea.

Makes 8 large scones.

Afterthoughts:
Scottish cooks prepare scones in many ways,
such as with golden syrup or treacle.
American cooks can also bake them in the
oven as one would prepare biscuits.
However, the texture is slightly different
and not as crusty as the griddle-cooked
scones. Some Scottish cooks prefer not to
roll out the dough, but grab off small
amounts of dough.
shape the dough by pressing into
triangle or diamond shapes on a lightly
floured board and then toss the scones
from one hand to the other to shake off
excess flour before baking on the griddle.

Source: Scottish Actor Nicol Williamson in
the Victoria, TX Advocate newspaper, May 14, 1970