Kitchen Exploits - Scones

A friend quipped that she still remembers the scones I made several years ago. Her comment made me dig out my old handwritten recipe I had tucked between books on a display shelf.

At the first opportunity to host a little morning tea at my home, I decided it was time to bake these beauties once again. I made these when the household was asleep, and I might have left the dough out for a little too long to attend to Bun at one of her many night wakings. The scones turned out a little larger and puffier than I remember, but thankfully were still well-received by my guests.

As with all our food these days, Bun could not keep her hands off these scones. Since she is already one, I relented and gave her some. She walloped the buttery crumbs with pleasure.

These scones are light and not too sweet. They can also be made into savoury ones by omitting the sugar and adding stuff like cheese, chives and black pepper.

Have them as breakfast or tea, with your choice of butter, cream, jam - or all of the above!

Scones

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

4t baking powder

5T white sugar

5T unsalted butter (about 140g)

2/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup raisins (or your choice of dried fruit, cut into raisin-sized pieces)

1 egg yolk, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
3. Use a rubbing in method to rub butter and sugar into the flour mixture to form a fine crumble.
4. Make a well in the centre, and slowly add milk as you lightly knead the mixture form a dough.
5. Add raisins and mix into the dough (dough will be sticky).
6. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to about 3/4 inch thickness. 
7. Stamp out 2 1/2 inch rounds with a pastry cutter. A time saver would be to cut the dough into squares and do a quick mould of the corners to make the scones roundish.  
8. Transfer to a lightly greased pan or one lined with baking paper. 
9. Brush tops of scones with egg yolk.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden on the top. Remove from oven, cool (or not), and savour.