I like Thursday mornings because that’s the day I get to have breakfast with Arjun after a week of rushing out of the house at 7AM. I take the time to make a lovely little breakfast for us as we sit at the table and slather whatever we’re eating with butter and watch the boats on the river go by.
This time, I made scones because they’re just so easy to put together- rub the cold butter into the flour. Add a spoonful of sugar and baking powder and then bring it all together with an egg and some milk until it’s a wee bit sticky, cut into pieces and bake. Fresh, hot scones from the oven ready in 20 minutes. We ate the scones with clotted cream and a lovely apricot jam that our friend’s aunt in Orléans, France makes over summer and shares with friends and family. It is delightful – jam that tastes like fruit, not a jar of sugar.
I like the scones plain, but you can play around with flavours – some vanilla, lavender or lemon zest. Maybe even some nuts (always toasted) and dried fruits chopped up and stirred into the flour.
Ingredients
- 220g plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 80g cold butter
- 1 egg
- 50-60ml milk (I approximated this, until I got a dough that came together and was a wee bit sticky)
Method
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Rub in the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly with your fingertips, you don't want the butter to melt.
- Next, add the eggs and milk and work the dough until it comes together. It's okay if it isn't a very cohesive - just as long as it holds together.
- Roll out to a thickness of 2.5-3 cms. Using a pastry cutter, cut into rounds. Or if you'd like you can even cut it as though you're cutting a pizza.
- Brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with a dash of milk)
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175C until golden brown.
- Serve with clotted cream and jam.