Sweet Treats
As we finally digest the large quantities of rich food from December, we can roll our way into January. With empty presses as far as the eye can see, every household needs something easy and delicious to fill the selection box sized hole in tummies. No one can resist a smile as the kitchen fills with the sweet scent of baked goods.
I personally love a warm, soft, crumbly scone with jam and cream as a Saturday morning treat. In less than an hour, you can whip up these gorgeous scones that are bound to impress. With a few simple ingredients found in the back of your cupboard, and a bit of elbow grease, these blueberry scones are a perfect start to any morning.
Ingredients
500g of sifted plain flour
3 level teaspoons of sifted baking powder
125g of firm, cold butter
125g of caster sugar
8 tablespoons of full fat milk
2 large eggs
200-400g of blueberries, depending on fruity preference.
Method
Preheat your oven to 220°c fan/ 240°c electric/ gas mark 9. In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine flour and baking powder. Chop butter into coin sized pieces and add to your flour mixture. Using the very tips of your fingers, rub the butter and flour mixture together to form texture similar to breadcrumbs. Stir in caster sugar with a spoon until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs and milk together until combined. Pour this wet mixture into dry ingredients, a little at a time and mix through using a knife, or spoon. As you add more, cut through the mixture until it begins to resemble a soft dough. Add in your blueberries, or fruit of choice and knead gently to form a dough ball. The fruit will create a sticky dough, so add a sprinkling of flour to make it easier to handle.
Roll your dough onto a floured surface and flatten slightly. Using a circle cookie cutter, cut out 12 round scones. They should be about one inch in thickness. If you don’t have a circle cutter, don’t worry, a plastic cup will also cut out perfect scones.
Place six at a time on a floured baking sheet. Leave a good amount of space between each one as they will expand slightly. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle a pinch of caster sugar over each one for a fantastic crumbly crunch. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Preferences
Remove from oven and place on wire tray to cool slightly before serving.
You can enjoy these scones warm or cold with butter or jam and cream. This recipe can also be adapted to suit your fruit or nut preferences. Raisin, apple and cinnamon would be a warming alternative to the sweet flavours used here. Play around with flavours to enjoy this recipe throughout the year!
