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1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
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2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
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3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
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4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
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5. Place on a lightly floured surgace and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
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-Footnotes-
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~Cranberry-Orange Scones~
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Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous tsp of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.
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~Lemon-Blueberry Scones~
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Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous tsp of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.
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~Cherry-Almond Scones~
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Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.
