Hot cakes

I do like a little scone, don’t you?

Hot out of the oven, little flecks of cherry, a shedload light, healthy scraping of butter, a huge pot of tea and the Sunday papers. A joy to behold.

I make mine Oirish soda bread style, and studded with lovely cherries. Feel free to leave them plain, or add raisins, or whatever else you choose.

I only ever do a few at a time. Scones really should be eaten on the day they are made, ya see, nd if I made more than a few, I would probably eat them all at once and die in a carb and butter induced coma. Not cool.

First, I line up the ingredients. Self-raising flour, sugar, butter, an egg, bicarbonate of soda, salt and some buttermilk (pretty jug optional)

I tip the dry ingredients into a nice big mixing bowl….

And add the butter.

Rub the butter in using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs…

And the add a lightly beaten (or heavily beaten, whatever) egg

Mix the egg in using a fork…

And then add a few drops of milk until it forms a stickyish dough.

Place the ball of dough on a floured surface and stud the surface with about a third of the cherries…

Before folding the dough over and doing the same thing…

Repeat until all the cherries are used, and cut into whatever size you choose using a cutter. I like mine BIG. As far as scones are concerned, size does matter.

Put your scones on a floured tray..

And place in a toasty hot oven for a little while.

Enjoy, ASAP, with butter. Or cream. Or both.

Cherry scones
Makes 4. Cooking time 30 minutes.

225g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
75g cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade.
2. Place the flour, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter using fingertips, until it resembles crumbs.
4. Beat the egg and mix it into the flour mixture using a fork.
5. Add the milk, little by little, until the mixture comes together in a slightly sticky dough.
6. Turn onto a floured surface and stud with cherries, folding the dough and studding until all the cherries are used.
7. Cut into shapes and sizes of your choosing.
8. Place on a floured baking tray.
9. Bake in the hot oven for approx. 20 minutes, until golden brown.

About these ads

Tags: baking, cherries, scones