• 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
• a little less than 1/2 tsp salt
• a little more than 2 tsp sugar
• 6 tbs butter
• 5 tbs milk or light cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• a little more than 2 tsp sugar
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• grated orange peel
• allspice
• unsweetened cocoa powder (this is optional)

Start heating oven to 450 F. Into bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add spices to taste - a very liberal dose of each, especially of the cinnamon. You know you've got enough spices when you can SEE them all. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, wielded scissor-fashion, cut in butter until the consistency is like corn meal. Blend in milk/cream. Separate 1 egg, reserving 1 tbs of the white for glaze, and beat the remaining eggs together (add a tsp of vanilla if you like) and add them to the flour/butter mixture as well.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 1/2" thick. Cut into 3" squares, and cut each square into 2 triangles. Or, for drop scones, make a medium-sized ball of dough with your fingers. Arrange on greased cookie sheet. Brush each one with the remaining 1 tbs of egg white, slightly beaten. Sprinkle each lightly with sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until they seem slightly golden around the edges and done. Serve hot with tea.