Scotch Soda Scones

A girdle scone rather than an oven scone: the dough is patted into a round and cooked on the stovetop. The recipe gives volumes for the dry goods and leaves the liquid entirely to judgment, so the notes below fill in what the original assumes you already know.

• A quart of flourDry goods were measured by volume in this book. A quart is 4 cups, roughly 1 lb of all-purpose flour. That makes a large batch; halving it is sensible for a household of two or three.
• The leaveningOne teaspoon soda with two teaspoons cream of tartar is the home-mixed version of baking powder, in the usual 1:2 proportion; by the common conversion it is equivalent to something in the region of 4 teaspoons of commercial baking powder. It begins working the moment liquid goes in, which is why the dough is handled as little as possible and cooked at once.
• The liquid is unstated"Milk or water to make consistent dough" is the only guidance. For 4 cups of flour expect somewhere between 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 cups, added gradually until the dough just holds together — soft, slightly tacky, not wet. Buttermilk works and gives a better crumb, though with buttermilk the cream of tartar becomes largely redundant.
• "A little lard or butter"Perhaps 2 tablespoons for the full quart of flour; the recipe does not say how the fat is worked in, only that the butter goes in along with the liquid. This is a lean dough by modern scone standards; it is meant to be split and buttered hot, not eaten rich.
• Warming the flourA common direction in older books, presumably a response to cold kitchens and unheated pantries; tepid flour helps the dough come together quickly. In a heated house it is unlikely to make much difference and can be skipped.
• Griddle, not ovenA heavy skillet or flat griddle over medium-low heat, lightly floured rather than greased. Too hot and the outside scorches before the centre sets. Reckon on 5 to 8 minutes a side for a round about 3/4 inch thick; the scone should sound hollow and the edges look dry.
• Cut before cookingScottish girdle scones are commonly scored into quarters (farls) before going on the griddle so the pieces cook through evenly and separate cleanly, though this recipe simply directs a whole round, turned once.
• The breakfast food substitutionLake of the Woods Breakfast Food was the mill's own branded breakfast cereal, sold alongside Five Roses flour; its exact composition is not given here. A pint and a half is 3 cups. A rolled cereal is the nearest modern stand-in, but it will not bind on its own -- expect to keep some wheat flour in the mix.
• YieldThe full quantity should give two or three large rounds, eight to twelve wedges. Best eaten the day they are made; they stale quickly, and are good split and toasted the next morning.