My Granny is the queen of all scone baking. Fruit, plain, treacle, bran - she's nailed them all! I have to say that I'm a bit of an old fashioned gal at heart who likes nothing more than a good old fruit version.
FRUIT SCONES
225g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
(I had no baking powder so half n' half of plain and self raising flour does the trick!)
4 tablespoons of caster sugar
50g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 egg
75ml milk
Approx. 2 handfuls of raisins/sultanas
a baking sheet, greased
Makes approx. 8 massive versions/10-12 normal
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) Gas 7. Combine the flour, baking powder, raisins and sugar in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Add the butter and now it's time to get your hands dirty! Combine the flour mixture and butter by grinding with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (food processor optional!). Make a well in the centre.
Beat together the egg and milk in another bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a separate bowl. Pour most of the remaining liquid into the flour mixture and bring together into a soft dough using a fork. If there are still dry crumbs, use a bit more of the liquid. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Gently roll out the dough and use 4/5cm biscuit cutters (for neat scones). Alternatively, create larger mounds of the mixture for more substantial eats - I personally think the more haphazard look is more appealing and tastier!
Arrange the scones, spacing them apart and brush the tops with the reserved milk and egg mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 8-10 minutes until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with butter, jam and cream.
Enjoy!
