MINI STAR-ANISE SCONES Recipe at Epicurious.com

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

click photo to enlarge

2/3 cup (about) heavy whipping cream,
divided
1 large egg
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground star anise
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butterv 1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons raw sugar*

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Whisk 1/2 cup cream, egg, and lemon peel in medium bowl.
Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Using large holes of box grater, grate butter over dry ingredients.
Using fingertips, blend until coarse meal forms. Add raisins and cream mixture.
Stir until moist clumps form, adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dough is dry.
Turn out onto floured surface; knead just until dough comes together.
Pat out dough to 1/2-inch-thick round.
Using 2-inch-diameter cutter, cut out scones. Gather dough scraps; press out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out additional scones.
Transfer to baking sheet.Brush tops of scones with 2 tablespoons cream; sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 16 minutes.
Transfer to rack; cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at most supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Makes about 24.Bon AppétitJanuary 2006