pert and preppy

Scones are all about puff and fluff. So making them gently and making sure the mixture is soft enough and has enough baking powder is key. That’s why most recipes use buttermilk or sour milk because the baking powder reacts better and gives more oomph to the scone! They may look easy to make but good scones need a light touch.

They are the best stand by when you run out of bread options and need something fast.

Ingredients

• 300g Plain Flour  or 200g white flour and 100g wholemeal flour)
• 3 tsps baking powder
• 30g sunflower oil (most recipes call for butter but I like to use oil)
• 25 g fresh thyme leaves – run your nail down the sprig stripping off the leaves
• 50g strong cheddar grated or if you must, parmesan
• A small bunch of parsley roughly chopped
• 175ml buttermilk (“lapte batut”)  or milk to which you have added a teaspoon of lemonjuice. Drinking yoghurt is fine.
• 1 beaten egg for the glaze and some salt and pepper to add in the mix

Gadgets and Gizmos

A mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or  a Kenwood.  A baking tray and a cutter. You can make in a round or squares but I like round scones. I use baking paper because I dont like washing up…

How To

Set the oven to 200c and Switch off the convection fan else your  soft scones will be blown over

I mix all the ingredients together all at once until they just come together into a fairly sticky dough. Do not over mix – you want light fluffy scones.

Turn out and handle with plenty of flour on your hands.

You need a dough that is quite thick as you will punch out scones approx 2.5cm thick.

Place them gently on the tray  and glaze with the egg wash and  sprinkle extra cheese on top.

Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.

Improvs and Ideas

Glorious eaten hot from the oven for brunch, dipped into a harissa and yoghurt dip or with a warm bowl of soup or, my favourite, with a bowl of mussels…..