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Scones - after Delia |
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8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting pinch of salt 3 oz (75 g) butter, at room temperature 11/2 oz (40 g) caster sugar 1 large egg, beaten What to do: Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C). Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add butter, cut up. (my secret method is to grate the butter into the bowl so you have lardy pellets of butter - much easier to rub in). Rub the butter lightly into the mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add the sugar. In a seperate bowl or jug, beat the egg and 2 tablespoons of the milk together and add this to the flour mixture. Mix together with a wide-bladed knife until it begins to form a dough: at this point use your hands to make sure its well formed. If its a little dry, add a dribble more milk. Be careful though: the dough must stay soft and moist: as the wifies in the SWRI will tell you, you can't get your teeth around a hard scone. When you have a ball of moist buff dough, flatten it into a circle at least 1 inch thick. Cut up with your favourite cutter (Stan likes hearts). Set them onto a baking tray and slide into the oven, leaving for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Remove and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack. Smother with butter and jam, and scoff. These freeze really well: do this just after they've cooled and you'll have fresh scones whenever you remember to take them out of the freezer - leave a couple of hours for them to defrost. (We wrap them in a tea towel at wedge on top of a radiator to speed things up - greedy things!) |
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