There is something wonderful about sitting down with a warm scone just out of the oven and a freshly brewed coffee (or hot chocolate).
The secrets to making a light fluffy scone:
- Always sift your flour and try to get as much air into your flour as possible
- Use gentle fingers when combining the flour and butter into breadcrumbs
- Use a knife to mix the wet ingredients into the butter/flour combination
- Don’t over knead, just gently knead enough to create the dough
- When using a scone cutter, don’t twist as you cut. This will prevent the scone from rising.
Scones
Servings 6 scones
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 75 g butter cubed
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 3-5 tbsp buttermilk
- 60 g raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4
- Sift the flour into a bowl
- Add the salt and baking powder. If using salted butter you do't need to add any additional salt
- Cut the butter into cubes and use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs
- Add the sugar and mix
- Beat the egg in a cup or bowl. Keep a little of the beaten egg to glaze the scones.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour/butter mix and add the beaten egg and 3 tbsp of buttermillk
- Mix a little and then add the raisins, if using, and mix gently
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients gently using a knife. If the mix is too dry then add more buttermilk and continue to combine
- When the dough has just come together, remove it from the bowl and knead it gently on a floured board
- Roll the dough out to about 2cm thick and use a scone or cookie cutter to shape your scones. Be care not to twist the cutter as you cut
- Glaze the scones with the remaining beaten egg. If you forgot to keep back some egg, then use some milk instead
- Bake the scones in the oven for about 15 minutes.
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