Scones

What would a British afternoon tea be without a scone? Rich yet fluffy, they are at their best when smeared with homemade jam and clotted cream. There are countless recipes out there but I'm very happy with this one. Soft and buttery, these have a biscuitty crumb that I think works really well. You should get six or seven scones out of this recipe and they are best eaten the day you bake them. Actually the sooner you can eat them after baking the better!

Prep time: 30 Mins

Baking time: 12-13 Mins

225g Self Raising Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

A pinch of Salt

75g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

50g Caster Sugar

Around 75ml Milk

1egg (Beaten)

In a large bowl sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub through the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add in the sugar, then drizzle in the milk, working the mixture together until it forms a smooth soft dough. You may not need all of the milk and I start mixing with a wooden spoon, taking over with my hands as the dough begins to form. Once you have a smooth dough set to one side for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 and grease a large flat baking tray. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough, until it's about 1.5cm thick. With a 7cm diameter (ish!) pastry cutter press out your scones, making sure you don't twist the cutter (Which should help give the scones a more even finish). You'll probably find you have to re-roll the dough once or twice to use it all up. Place the scones on the tray evenly spaced apart, then brush the tops with the beaten egg. If any of the egg runs off of the side of the scones to the base, just carefully wipe it away with some kitchen paper. Otherwise you might find the cooked egg glues your scones to the tray! Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-13 minutes, until the scones have risen and the tops have turned a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 20 minutes, then remove and either place on a wire rack or better still, scoff them down!