Very English Scones Recipes

AUTHENTIC BRITISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425F.
• In a medium bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to break up the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the milk slowly, mixing as you add, using enough of the milk to get your dough to come together with no lumps remaining. (Your dough should be quite sticky. If a good consistency is not achieved with the listed amount of milk, continue adding until your dough reaches a good consistency.)
• Spoon the dough out until a well-floured surface. Generously dust the top of the dough and knead the dough 2-3 times to coat it with flour and smooth the surface. Press the dough into a round that is roughly 1 inch thick.
• Using a well-floured cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2 inch circles. (Be sure to press the cookie cutter straight down and up. Twisting the cookie cutter will impact the amount of rise you get on your scones.)
• Place the rounds onto a greased and floured baking sheet. Brush them gently with the egg yolk and milk mixture.
• Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, until golden and firm.
• Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes (if you can resist). If you like softer scones, cover them with a clean tea towel as they cool.

ENGLISH SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins. Beat milk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring lightly. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 1-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Bake at 425° until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

TRADITIONAL SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk until blended; add to crumb mixture just until moistened. , Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead 10 times. Divide dough in half; pat each portion into a 5-in. circle. Cut each circle into six wedges. , Separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm, with jam if desired.

VERY ENGLISH SCONES

Steps:

• Start heating your oven to 220C, 425F or Gas mark 7 and grease a baking tray (a sheet of grease-proof paper will do the trick).
• Mix the flour and salt.
• Rub in the butter/margarine.
• Stir in the sugar and fruit.
• Add the egg and milk mixture but keep a little to brush on the tops of the scones before baking.
• Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness.
• Cut into 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) rounds.
• Brush the tops with the egg and milk mixture.
• Bake for about 10 minutes.

PROPER ENGLISH SCONES

Steps:

• 1.Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
• 2.Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
• 3.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. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
• 4.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, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
• 5.Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.

ENGLISH CREAM SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Combine dry ingredients.
• Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture has the consistency of coarse cornmeal.
• Set aside. Reserve a little of the egg whites (to brush over tops of scones) and beat eggs until light. Stir in milk.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and add liquid all at once, stirring with a fork vigorously until dough comes freely from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat dough out to 3/4-inch thickness.
• Cut into 8 triangles or squares or form into "biscuits".
• Brush tops with egg whites and sprinkle generously with sugar.
• place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are golden.
• Variations: Raisin Scones Add to dry ingredients 1/2 cup seedless raisins, currants, Craisins or other fruits (fresh blueberries or raspberries, apple chunks etc). Cheese Scones Reduce sugar to 1 tsp Add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheese to dry ingredients.
• Do Not sprinkle with sugar before baking.