Irish Soda Bread Scones

For some reason I had a craving for Irish Soda Bread today . . . I can't imagine why! I decided to alter the recipe a bit - because I am incapable of cooking or baking anything according to recipe. The results were a little more flaky and fluffy than traditional soda bread, and since I baked them in scone shape - maybe I should just give up on calling them soda bread at all. Anyhow, they were impressively delightful.

Here's my altered recipe - these were super easy, 20 minutes to prep and about 20 in the oven.

Irish Soda Bread Scones

Preheat oven to 400 

In a large bowl stir together:

1 1/2 cups flour (I used a combo of whole wheat pastry and white)

1/4 cup date sugar (or slightly less white sugar)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Cut in: 

3/4 stick COLD butter

Mix the butter chunks into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the consistency is like grainy sand

Add: 

1/3 cup currants or raisins

Zest from one orange

Stir in:

1/2 cup buttermilk 

(for this step I added 1 tsp vinegar to 1/2 cup whole milk and let sit for 10 minutes because I didn't have any buttermilk on hand)

1 tsp vanilla

**Do not overmix! Once the flour mixture is fully incorporated, turn the dough onto a floured surface. Roll the dough over once or twice and form into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into squares and cut squares on the diagonal.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes - until golden.

Serve plain or with butter and marmalade!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!