Ingredients:
- 350g self-raising flour , plus more for dusting
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 85g butter , cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 175ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- squeeze lemon juice (see Know-how below)
- beaten egg , to glaze
- jam and clotted cream , to serve
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first. (Mine didn't)
Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.
Verdict: Well, it's later the same evening and there are none left.
But....they weren't the nicest scones I've ever had. None of us was too keen on the vanilla flavour in them. Maybe a few drops would have been fine, but there was too much in them.
If I make this recipe again - and I may - I liked the texture of them - I'd put only a couple of drops of vanilla extract in them.
Do any of you have a favourite scone recipe? If so, I'd love to know.
I love a nice warm scone! My favourite recipe is a Sue Lawrence one, from her Scottish Cooking book (or Scottish Recipes or something like that!)
ReplyDeleteThe girls and I are scone lovers, and whenever we get together we drink pots and pots of tea and devour way too many scones. This recipe sounds great, and it is nice having an authentic Scottish recipe. (those conversions are always a little difficult for me... but I'll figure it out). My husband loves biscuits (similar to a scone, but with no sugar, looks very similar to those scones above).
ReplyDeleteMuch Love,
Pam
Pam, I've always wondered what these 'biscuits' were. I always read about biscuits and gravy, and was never sure what they were, or how they'd be served..... tell more!
ReplyDeleteKirsteen - might try these ones. I made others from the BBC Good food site before, and I preferred them, so will try out the different ones until we hit the spot!
Ta, Anne x
Biscuits and gravy is similar to your biscuits above, but with no sugar or lemon. People sometimes eat them for breakfast with a gravy that has sausage bits in it. They put they gravy over the open biscuits. This is usually just eaten at restaurants. Most people don't make them at home too often.
ReplyDeleteWell! I've quite lost my early afternoon exploring your pages and I haven't seen the half of them! I am enjoying your writings. Thanks so much from Texas!
ReplyDeletebtw, biscuits are scones without the tight texture and without sugar. Southerners eat them as bread. Biscuits and gravy is a fine art that I haven't achieved but a local Mexican restaurant makes them, the biscuits, and lightly toasts them in butter before pouring on the sausage in a white gravy. "White" gravy? It's like a thickened milk gravy and is served on chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes also.
ReplyDelete