EASIEST AND BEST SCONES EVER | Annie Mehra Cannon

EASIEST, AND BEST, SCONES EVER

I don't know about you but, until now, I've never managed to make perfect scones. Either they're flat and rubbery, too floury and doughy, or as useful as WMDs. For years, I've longed to replicate the scones I used to love in the U.K, found in quaint little teahouses in equally quaint little villages; the ones accompanied by lashings of whipped cream, or salty butter, and cute pots of raspberry jam with tiny silver spoons and served with strong English tea poured into delicate bone china cups from a matching Ye Olde Royal Albert Teapot. Well, by jove, I've finally done it, and with only four ingredients too! I reckon even King Charles III would be impressed.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups self-raising flour

1/8 - 1/4 tsp fine salt

60g ice cold butter

1 1/2 cups cold milk

METHOD

Heat oven to 230C. (very hot)

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl.

Grate the frozen butter into the mix and using your fingertips, rub it in gently until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (A few larger lumps of butter are fine, even good.)

Pour all the cold milk in at once and, using a flat knife, mix until you have a sticky dough.

Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead very very gently - for no more than 30 seconds..

Pat into a thick (roughly 3 cm) disc.

Using a 4 cm in diameter round cutter, dip cutter in flour and press straight down.

Place on baking paper lined tray.

Repeat until all your dough is used up. You will probably have to roll and pat down remaining dough a few times to achieve 9 - 12 scones. Just try not to over-handle it.

Bake in the hottest part of the oven for about 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

As aforementioned, serve with whipped cream and/or slightly salted butter and your preferred jam.

Whether you add the cream/butter first and then the jam, or the jam first and then the cream/butter is entirely up to you...

Just ask yourself, what would Camilla do?