2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (stone ground)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar (firmly packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup butter, frozen
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
granulated sugar
melted butter

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon until no streaks remain.

Remove butter from freezer and cut into 1/3-inch slices. Stir vanilla into buttermilk. Chop the walnuts; dip them in a little melted butter and roll them in granulated sugar.

Using a pastry blender or your fingers (dip your hands into ice water first so the butter won't melt) cut the butter into the flour, leaving large chunks the size of peas. Using a large fork, stir in buttermilk. Add walnuts.

Press dough together and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out 1-inch thick. Cut into large circles or wedge shapes. Brush with melted butter or cream and sprinkle generously with coarse white (or turbinado) sugar.

Arrange on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until light golden brown (about 12- 15minutes depending upon size and thickness).

Serve with melted butter, fruit jam, red currant jelly or honey.

Leftover scones may be split, buttered, reheated in a 375F oven (or microwave for 10-20 seconds) and served with ham, cheese, and poached eggs for lunch!

Variation: Omit vanilla and use pure lemon or orange extract and 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon or orange zest. Candied ginger and golden raisins or Craisins may be chopped and added to batter. Pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachios can be used instead of walnuts. Try pure almond flavoring with slivered almonds. If you have a food processor, try substituting 1 cup of oat flour for 1 cup all purpose; put quick cooking oats into bowl of food processor and process until you have oat flour. Oat scones are very tender.

Shortcut: Scones may be made entirely in the food processor. Combine dry ingredients in food processor first, until well mixed. Next, add chunks of very cold butter (just a few pulses - leave large chunks). Finally, add liquid ingredients and pulse just for 3 or 4 seconds. It's important not to overwork the dough. Proceed as above.