How to make perfect Scone:
Scones became popular and an essential part of the fashionable ritual of taking tea in England when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 – 1861), one late afternoon, ordered the servants to bring tea and some sweet breads, which included scones. She was so delighted by this, that she ordered it every afternoon and what now has become an English tradition is the “Afternoon Tea Time” (precisely at 4:00 p.m.). They are still served daily with the traditional clotted cream topping in Britain.
What you will need:
To follow this scone recipe, you will need 8oz of self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, 2 oz of granulated sugar, 3 oz margarine and 1-2 fluid oz of semi skimmed milk. This scone recipe makes 6 scones and is for a basic plain sweet scone.
Your Scone Recipe & Instructions....
Scones are funny creatures, rather like making a traditional english yorkshire pudding - practice makes perfect (well nearly)!
Start by mixing the flour, salt & sugar together in a large bowl. Next rub in the margarine to the dry ingredients (try not to use the tips of your fingers as they tend to be warm and melt the margarine too quickly.
When thoroughly mixed in it should look similar to bread crumbs, now onto the tricky bit...
lowly pour 1/2 of the milk into your mix and stir gently (I use my fingers to do this). The mix will start to come together gradually. Add more of the milk until you have a soft, firm ball. The less you handle the mix at this stage, the better and lighter your scones will be.
Next dust your work surface with flour and knead the mixture lightly - roll out to approx 1" thick and using a 2" cutter cut out your scones. Place the scones on a non-sticky baking sheet. Gather up any remaining dough and re-roll / cut out until all of the dough is used. Brush the top of the scones with milk and bake for approx 20 minutes in a fan oven set at 190 degrees. Try not to open the oven door before 15 minutes or your scones may collapse. The best way to check if they are ready is to gently squeeze one of your scones between your thumb and index finger (they should be firm but still slightly soft). Cool on a wire rack and serve your scones!
Remember practice makes perfect and good luck!
