Happy Mother's Day!

This year is a special Mother's Day because I now have two mothers to celebrate! Some could find that bothersome, but I am so lucky to have a great mom and a great mother-in-law. They both are great examples of godly women, and I want to follow in their examples. Mama (Tim's mom) has treated me like her own her daughter from the start, and has encouraged me with words of wisdom and by always letting me know she's keeping me in prayer. Mom (my mom) has the kindest heart and I definitely get my desire to be hospitable from her. Since we could not celebrate with them in person, I decided to send them scones and jam to enjoy this morning - Tim and I would do the same, so we would all be celebrating together in spirit. (I didn't send the crème fraîche because it wouldn't have kept so fresh.) Happy Mother's Day to my two beautiful moms, and to the rest of the mothers out there!

Sweet Milk Scones
from Cook's Illustrated March 1994

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450F degrees.
2. Sift first 5 ingredients into large bowl. With 2 knives cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.
3. Make a well in the center of mixture and pour in milk. Working quickly, blend ingredients together with a rubber spatula into a soft, slightly wet dough. Turn dough onto a well-floured work surface.
4. Quickly roll dough to 1/2 inch thick. Use a lightly greased and floured 3-inch biscuit cutter to stamp dough with one decisive punch, cutting close together to generate as few scraps as possible. Dip cutter into flour as often as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Push scraps of dough together so that edges join; firmly pinch edges with fingertips to make a partial seal. Pat this remaining dough to 1/2 inch thick; continue to cut 3-inch rounds.
5. Place dough rounds 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake until scones are lightly brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Crème Fraîche
adapted from Cook's Illustrated Sept 2003

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 teaspoons sugar

Directions:
1. Whisk sour cream and heavy cream in bowl; set aside at room temperature until thickened to the consistency of yogurt, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Just before serving, stir in salt and sugar.