Devon Scones

Afternoon Tea (359) Scones (26) Teatime (5)

Making scones is not rocket science, but there are so many inferior offerings in shops and cafés that I often wonder how they get away with it. Follow this recipe (pinched from the amazing Mary Berry) and you'll have something to serve with a cup of tea in about 30 minutes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes at 220°C
Makes: 20 scones

Ingredients
450g self-raising flour
2 rounded tsp baking powder
75g butter at room temperature
50g caster sugar
2 eggs
Approx 225ml milk

Method

Pre-heat the oven and lightly grease two baking trays.

Weigh the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Beat the eggs lightly.

Put into a measuring jug and make up to 300ml with the milk. Set aside a couple of tablespoons for glazing the scones.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gradually mix until you have a soft dough. It should remain a little sticky; you're not aiming for a bread dough consistency.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and flatten a little with your hands to a thickness of about 1 - 2 cm.

Using a 5cm fluted cutter, stamp out rounds of dough without twisting. If the dough sticks to the inside of the cutter, just give a gentle push onto the baking sheets.

Push any leftover dough back together, give a quick knead and then follow the same process again until all the dough is used up.

Brush the tops of the uncooked scones with the reserved egg and milk mixture and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until they are well risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack and serve as soon as possible, whilst still warm.

Purists would advise clotted cream, topped with jam, but you can compromise with jam topped with cream, clotted or whipped.

Leftover scones should be frozen once cool, thawed, and warmed through at 180°C for about 10 minutes.

Categories
#Scones
#Teatime
#Afternoon Tea