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Homemade Scones
Homemade Scones
You wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Delicious. But wait; there is another mouth-watering aroma in the air. What could it be? You make your way to the kitchen and discover the source of this yummy smell. Freshly baked homemade scones! Served with one of your favorite toppings, by beaming kids.
Of all the baked goods known to man, homemade scones must be one of the easiest and quickest to make. From start to finish takes less than 30 minutes. This makes it the ideal treat you can teach your children (and hubby) to make. They are not only scrumptious for breakfast or brunch; they are also just the thing for the lunch-box, afternoon tea or a bedtime snack. At the coronation of Scottish monarchs, which was held at the Abbey of Scone, the king touched a piece of sandstone known as the Stone of Scone. It is believed by some that the shape of a Scottish staple food slightly resembled a stone. To honor their ruler, early Scots decided to name it 'scone'. It is a blend of cake, biscuit and bread. Wherever you travel in the world, you are sure to find scones in one form or another. Known by different names perhaps, but nonetheless enjoyed by many. In Ireland, scones are so popular that in 2006, during the Austrian Presidency of the EU, they chose scones as their representative for Café Europe. A basic scone recipe consists of flour, baking powder, butter, milk, eggs and salt. The secret to producing moist scones, is to have your dough slightly 'wet' instead of dry. Letting the dough rest in the fridge for a while is also recommended. For a sweet scone you can add sugar to the basic mixture. To create a savory scone, add some cheddar cheese, and a dash of cayenne pepper. You can also add one of the following: buttermilk, dried fruit, orange rind, pecan nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla or allspice to the basic recipe to create unique tasting scones. Scones can be served with many different fillings, making it versatile and exciting. Whether you like them savory or sweet you will find a filling to suit your taste. We all know scones served with honey, maple syrup, or jam and clotted cream. You don't have to stick to this 'traditional' way of eating scones. Be adventurous and try some of these fillings: Smoke trout or salmon pate Fried bacon, onion & mushroom Cranberries and blueberries Chocolate chip Scones freeze well. They will keep for up to three weeks and when you reheat them, taste like they were freshly baked. So, next time you whip up a batch, stash some in the freezer. You will then always have something to serve unexpected guests, or as a treat for the family.
225g (8oz) self - raising flour 1.25 ml (¼ level tsp) salt 60 ml (4 level tbsp) caster sugar 2.5 ml (½ level tsp) baking powder Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange 2 eggs 300 ml (½ pint) milk 15g (½ oz) English butter melted 75g (3oz) raisins
1. Sift together the flour, sugar,salt and baking powder into a bowl. Add the grated orange rind. 2. Gradually beat in the eggs, milk and melted butter. Stir in 30 ml (2 tbsp) orange juice And the raisins. 3. Lightly butter and heat a large griddle iron or heavy frying pan. Drop small rounds of scone Mixture from a tablespoon into the pan 4. Cook over a moderate heat until bubbles show on the scone surface. Carefully turn over with a Knife and cook for a further 2 minutes. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Keep scones warm in a folded tea-towel. Serve warm or cold with butter on day of baking
Makes about 24
225g (8 oz) flour 2.5 ml ( ½ level tsp) baking powder Pinch of salt 75g (3oz) English butter 75g (3oz) sugar 50g (2oz) currents or sultanas 2.5 ml (½ level tsp) mixed spice (optional) 1 egg, beaten Milk to mix
1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl 2. Rub in the butter and the remaining dry ingredients 3. Stir in the egg, then add enough milk to make a firm dough 4. Roll out the dough to 1-2 cm (¼ -½ inch) thick. Cut it in to 8-cm (3 inch) Rounds and cook on a hot buttered griddle iron or in a heavy frying pan for about 10 minutes Turning when the undeside is brown. Serve warm with butter and honey
Makes about 10
50g (2oz) English butter 225g (8oz) self-raising flour 25g (1oz) caster sugar 50g (2oz) glace cherries, roughly chopped 25g (1oz) crunchy wheat germ About 150 ml (½ pint) milk
1. Rub the butter into the flour in a bowl until the mixtire resembles Fine breadcrumbs, stir in the caster sugar 2. Stir the cherries into the flour mixture until evenly distributed then Ad the wheat germ 3. Mix to a soft dough with about 150 ml (½ pint) milk, kneading lightly until Just smooth 4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about a 2-cm (¾ -inch) Thichness. Stamp out crescent shape using a 6.5-cm (2 ½ -inch) fluted cutter, Kneading and re-rolling the dough until it is all used up 5. Place the scones on a preheated baking sheet, brush tops with milk and bake In the oven at 230 deg C (450 deg F) mark 8 for 10-12 minutes, cool on wire rack 6. Serve immediately, split and spread with butter
Makes about 14
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