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Sunday 25 July 2010

Scones

Short o or long?  I'm a soft southerner so when I eat a scone it rhymes with Ron.  However you say it. they're easy to make, quick to cook and delicious.
There was no bread in the house this morning- again- so I made a quick batch whilst I waited for the bread to cook. 

  • 8 oz self raising flour
  • 1  1/2 oz butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • milk
Preheat the oven to 220 C.

  1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt.
  2. Cut the butter into pieces and put into the flour, rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  You don't need to be quite as light fingered as with pastry but the less you mess with the mixture the better.
  3. Add the sugar and mix through lightly.  You can make the mixture up ahead of time and stop at this point as long as you leave it in the fridge, it will keep for a few days and can be finished off when you have guests (who will be madly impressed) or for breakfast.
  4. Add milk to make into a firm but pliable dough.  This is the point where it can all go wrong as it is very easy to add too much.  Start by adding no more than a tablespoon and add just a tiny bit at a time so that your mixture isn't too wet.  I have deliberately left out a quantity from this recipe as measuring it does not work; you need to do it by eye.
  5. Roll on a floured board (or work surface) with a floured rolling pin (use a wine bottle if you don't have a pin) until it is about 3/4 of an inch (2cm) thick.
  6. Cut out the shapes and place on a non-stick baking sheet.  Put them all bunched together (don't worry, they won't stick to each other) so that they rise better.
  7. Cook near the top of the oven for 10-15 mins depending on the size and shape.

Best eaten warm from the oven with butter, but jam and cream, cheese, even Marmite are all delicious on them.  They aren't particularly sweet so they can be served as sweet or savoury as you chose.  Eat them on the day of baking (the fresher, the better); they don't keep well.

1 comment:

  1. I once read a useful comment on the correct pronunciation of the word Scone. It is, apparently, pronounced 'Scone'! (personally I use the short O).
    Ax

    ReplyDelete

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