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Can anyone help out on the scones recipe?
There are so many scone recipes out there, it's all a bit trial and error and finding one you like and can adapt. And a hot oven, a decent oven makes all the difference.
I like this one with cream in it. The scones are very
tender aka soft because of all that extra fat! I'm not sure if you have self-raising flour across the pond, but plain flour with baking powder should substitute. I think our double cream is your "heavy" cream. Work with light fingers and don't over mix the dough.
Makes around 10-12 scones.
- 200g self-raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 50g caster sugar
- 200–250ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 220C/ 425F/Gas 7.
Sift the flour and salt together into a medium-size mixing bowl. Add the sugar and 200ml cream, then work in with a fork or light fingers until you have even-sized-looking clumps. If the mix is too dry, add the remaining 50ml cream and mix through.
Place on a floured workbench and knead gently four or five times. Dust with flour and roll the mix flat with a rolling pin to 1cm thick. Cut out 5cm circles with a crimped circle cutter and place on a lightly floured baking tray.
Knead the off cuts gently back together and repeat the rolling and cutting process.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in a hot oven until they have risen nicely. Depending how dark you like them, you can leave them for a little longer. An egg wash brushed over before baking gives a lovely shine, but I prefer just giving them a dusting of flour on top.
This recipe is a bit more old school
Ingredients
- 500g self-raising flour
- 100g unsalted butter + a little extra for greasing
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 275ml milk + a little extra for glazing
- For fruit scones you'll also need...
- 100g sultanas, raisins or whatever
- 100ml water
Method
If you're making fruit scones then put the raisins or sultanas or dried mixed-fruits (100g) and water (100ml) into a bowl and leave to soak for 20 minutes - soaking the fruit helps to prevent it burning during cooking.
After 20 minutes, drain the water from the raisins and put the raisins to one side until needed.
Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan.
Lightly grease a baking tray with butter or use parchment / grease-proof paper.
Put the self-raising flour (500g) into a large bowl. Cut the butter (100g) into cubes, and add it to the flour.
Gently rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs.
Add the caster sugar (60g), baking powder (1 tsp), salt (½ tsp) and raisins (if using) and mix to combine - Sprinkle the salt and baking powder across the top of the flour/butter mix rather than putting it in one place as this will help ensure that it's evenly distributed.
Make a well in the centre and add the full-fat milk (275ml) - I like to keep a tablespoon or two back to add at the end to help collect up any stray bit of flour.
With as little action as possible (heyhey hey!), mix the milk into the dry ingredients using your hands until it has come together into a ball of dough. If there's any flour left in the bottom, add a touch more milk to help collect it up - your dough should be slightly sticky, but not too sloppy.
Place the dough on a work surface and pat it flat to a thickness of about 1½ inches (don't use a rolling pin for this one!).
Cut circles out and place them on a baking tray. After the first set, quickly ball up the dough, pat flat, and repeat until you have used up all of the dough.
Glaze each scone with a little milk and place into the oven for 12-15 minutes until they are cooked (I tap them to see if they sound hollow as you do with bread.
Cool on rack before scoffing, though warm is soooo goood - preferably with fresh butter or clotted cream and jam.
Today's Guardian newspaper has an article about cheese scones (and the English mustard powder is essential). These are uber yummy. Other favourites are apple and cinnamon, treacle and my favourite sultana scones.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/oct/06/how-to-make-the-perfect-cheese-scones
I plan to bake a plain Victoria sponge cake filled with blackcurrant jam and whipped cream this weekend. Simples %) If I do I will post a pic. And no worries if you don't want to do a pic, I'm cheeky to be asking! x