English Oven Scones

I haven’t made scones for years but since I’ve been ill with a flu virus for 10 days I just fancied some comfort food. Scones with jam on have been eaten in England probably from the beginning of time. They are still extremely popular today. The modern versions have all sorts of fancy things in them. But the originals are plain, or have dried fruit like currants, sultanas (golden raisins) etc. Some like a cheese scone while others make the afternoon tea scone which has sugar and an egg added to this recipe. This will make them more substantial.They can also be made with wholemeal flour. I like the old fashion recipe I learned to cook some 40 years ago with a pinch of salt.Eating them with jam is enough sweetness for me. I like a fruit scone buttered with a wedge of mature cheddar cheese.

Of course,  if you are going to eat them the favourite way in my neck of the woods, Devon & Cornwall, you will probably need to put the egg in because loading them with Clotted Cream and jam is a weighty business, in more ways than one.

8 oz./ 225 g. Self Raising Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1.5 oz./ 40 g.  butter, margarine or other solid fat

5 oz/148 g. milk

 

SIFT together the flour, salt and Baking Powder into a bowl

RUB in the fat until it looks like breadcrumbs

POUR the milk into a well in the centre and bring the dough together with a table knife until a soft dough is formed

Make sure your hands and the surface are well floured

KNEAD very gently a few times with your hand and turn out on a floured surface

The less you handle it the better. This is the key to light scones

ROLL the dough out or press with your floured hands to about 1 inch or 3 cm. thickness

Don’t be tempted to roll thinner to make more scones, the height is needed to make them rise

CUT with round cutter or cut into triangles with a knife & put on a baking sheet

When using a cutter, cut straight down, do not twist

DUST with flour to prevent tops browning

BAKE at 220C fan oven for 10 minutes. If large ones 12-15 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS FOR AFTERNOON TEA SCONE

8 oz./225g Self Raising four

pinch salt

1.5 Tablespoons castor sugar

4 -5 oz./110 ml. milk

1.5 oz./40g. butter or other fat

1 egg mixed in with the milk

Recipe as above

If you want fruit scones add 50g. dried sultanas or raisins

If you want cheese scones add 50g.grated cheese and a large pinch of powdered mustard