The best scones

A classic English dessert, fruit scones with clotted cream and jam.

I have tried so many different scone recipes, whilst the enriched ones in Delia’s How to Cook were a close second, these are my favourite and it’s actually a pretty straight forward one. For me, the best way to serve a scone is with clotted cream and jam or better yet sliced fresh strawberries (particularly if you don’t have a super sweet tooth). For such a decadent topping, I find keeping the scones very simple is the best way to go.

Original recipe by Jane Hornby on the BBC Good Food website.

Makes 8

Time: 20 minutes  

Ingredients

• 350g self raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 85g butter, cold and cut in to cubes

• 3 tbsp caster sugar

• 85g sultanas

• 175ml milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Squeeze of lemon

• 1 small beaten egg (to egg wash only)

• Jam of choice, fresh strawberries and clotted cream to serve

 Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

2. Put the flour, baking powder and a ¼ tsp salt into the mixing bowl

3. Add the butter then mix in your stand mixer to rub in by hand until all the lumps of butter are gone.

4. Add in the sugar and sultanas.

5. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds so it is just warm and then squeeze in the lemon and vanilla extract. The milk should slightly curdle.  Set aside for a moment.

6. Put a baking tray in the oven to pre heat, in theory placing the scones on a hot tray will help them rise.

7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine. The dough should feel soft and very pliable, it should not be very sticky.

8. Flour your work surface and fold the dough a couple of times, sprinkling some flour on the dough as you go along. Pat it out so that it is about 4cm deep.

9. Take your scone cutter, I prefer to use a smooth-edged cutter rather than the fluted ones, but use whatever you prefer. I use a 5cm cutter or sometimes one that is a little larger.  Dip the cutter in to flour to stop the dough sticking to the edges.

10. Cut out your scones and reshape the excess dough back in to a round and keep cutting out until all the dough is used. 

11. Brush the scones with the beaten egg then place them quickly on the hot baking tray and place back in the oven.

12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden and risen.

13. Try to wait a few minutes for them to cool before eating. Though warm from the oven with some butter and jam is delicious! If topping with cream then best to wait till they are fully cooled else the cream will melt.