Saffron Scones

1/2 stick (4 Tbs) butter
2 cups unbleached white flour (or half and half whole wheat and white flours)
1/2 cup wheat germ (optional)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch saffron, soaked in a tablespoon of hot water or milk
1/4 tsp. Saffron salt
1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup buttermilk)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400F
Soak the saffron in hot water or milk.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
Cut the butter into the flour mixture and using a pastry blender, create a crumb dough
Whisk egg with the buttermilk and add the soaked saffron
Pour over crumb dough mixture
Knead with fingers until a soft dough forms (do not over knead!). Add flour if dough is too sticky.
Flatten into a shape of a disk, about 2" thick, and cut with cookie cutter
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown (if using smaller scones, bake for less)

Serve with orange marmalade and clotted cream (in the picture, it is served with Preserved BC Sunshine's Seville Orange Marmalade, which is lightly sweet and fragrant)

These lovely scones will be served at my Midsummer's Tea Party August 8th!

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