Authentic Scones

A reader has asked: I’m really confused about scones. Sometimes they’re light, almost like a baking powder biscuit. Then I’ve tried others that are sweet and buttery, almost like very thick cookies. Which is the real thing?

A: Though I guess it’s all a matter of taste, your first description is the kind of scone with which I’m familiar. Scones may be a little more rich (just as baking powder biscuits come in varying degrees of richness), but a real scone is never extremely sweet or fat laden. And beware of scones with icing—you might as well have a piece of cake.