About the Recipe
Try the raspberry jam recipe ( it is also a freebie) and serve with jam and lashing of clotted cream.
Ingredients
350g Self Raising flour 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp Baking powder
85g Butter
3 tbsp Caster sugar
1 Orange
75-100g Dried fruit
175ml Milk
1tsp Vanilla
Squeeze of lemon juice
Preparation
Sieve the self-raising flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt and the baking powder, then mix with a cutlery knife.
Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs.
Stir through the caster sugar.
Remove the zest from the orange and add to the bowl, with the dried fruit.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and the lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
While waiting, put a baking sheet in the oven.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first.
Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother.
If required, turn and gently knead the dough 2-3 more times until it comes together as a ball of fluffy dough but do not over work as this will lengthen the gluten strands and make your scones heavier.
Do not rollout the dough, instead gently pat and press the dough into a round about 4cm deep.
Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour.
Plunge into the dough, without twisting as this can seal the edges of your scones and limit their rise.
Repeat until you run out of space for the cutter.
Press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out more (try to cut as many scones as you can each time as every re roll also contributes to gluten formation).
Brush the tops with a beaten egg or milk, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray.
Bake for 1-12 mins until risen and golden on the top.