In my opinion, summer is not summer without a cream tea, and although
scones served with jam and cream sound incredibly simple, the delicious
British treat has to be one of my favourite bites to eat.
The warmth of the freshly baked scones, coupled with the tart raspberry jam and the
smooth clotted cream is simply irresistible, and although it does feel slightly naughty, the indulgence is definitely worthwhile.
So why not celebrate the forthcoming bank holiday weekend and host your
own British tea party, with home-made and freshly baked scones taking
centre stage?
Ingredients
Makes 6-10, depending on the size of your cutter
- 250g self-raising flour
- 70g butter or margarine (you can reduce this if desired, but use no less than 40g)
- 40g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and place a sheet of baking
parchment on a baking tray.
2. Add the flour and butter to a bowl, and rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Top Tip: Give the bowl a little shake every now and then so that any lumps that are in the mixture come to the surface. Then continue rubbing in.
3. Add the sugar and mix through.
4. In a small jug or cup, beat the milk and egg together with a fork.
5. Gradually add the eggy mixture to the breadcrumbs and mix in using a knife until a dough is formed.
Hint: Only add a little bit of the eggy mixture at a time so that you can control the texture of the dough being formed. Too much liquid will make the dough sticky.
Top tip: If the dough does go too sticky, add a little extra flour.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and evenly flatten it using the palms of your hands until the mixture is 1 inch thick.
Top tip: The dough should be the thickness of the top part of your thumb – no rulers required!
7. Cut out the scones using a cutter and space them out on the lined baking tray.
Top tip: If you would like a glossy finish to your scones when baked, brush the tops with milk or egg.
8. Place the scones in the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes.
9. When risen and golden brown, remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving.
2. Add the flour and butter to a bowl, and rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Top Tip: Give the bowl a little shake every now and then so that any lumps that are in the mixture come to the surface. Then continue rubbing in.
3. Add the sugar and mix through.
4. In a small jug or cup, beat the milk and egg together with a fork.
5. Gradually add the eggy mixture to the breadcrumbs and mix in using a knife until a dough is formed.
Hint: Only add a little bit of the eggy mixture at a time so that you can control the texture of the dough being formed. Too much liquid will make the dough sticky.
Top tip: If the dough does go too sticky, add a little extra flour.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and evenly flatten it using the palms of your hands until the mixture is 1 inch thick.
Top tip: The dough should be the thickness of the top part of your thumb – no rulers required!
7. Cut out the scones using a cutter and space them out on the lined baking tray.
Top tip: If you would like a glossy finish to your scones when baked, brush the tops with milk or egg.
8. Place the scones in the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes.
9. When risen and golden brown, remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving.
***
If you can't decide whether to have jam before cream or cream before jam, you could make your scones savoury instead with the addition of grated cheese or herbs. Add these to the bowl in place of sugar, and before adding the eggy mixture.
If you want to be even more creative, think about the toppings that you would have on a pizza and see how they can transform the dough.
Happy baking!
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