Foolproof scones

[insanityscatching]

I love to bake and bake most weeks but I've never perfected a scone that I'm truly happy with. What are your tips and favourite recipes please?

oven on gas 7, baking sheet in to warm up

rub 85g cold butter into 350g SR flour & 1tsp baking powder

stir in 3 tbsp caster sugar

warm 175ml milk for 30 secs in microwave, add splash lemon juice and stir into flour mix.

pat out and cut

glaze with beaten egg

get tray out, dust lightly with flour, put scones on and bake for 10 mins.

this is my basic recipe for plain scones. usually get between 6-8 - I dont usually use a cutter, just a knife so I don't faff with re-patting out etc… number depends on how deep you want them.

I use this as the basis for making variations of cheese scones (ditch the sugar), apple and cinnamon, sultana, cherry etc etc

won first prize in the village show last year

the trick is hot tray and warm, sour milk… (or so my granny taught me! she also said don't faff with fancy cutters!)

Thank you I'm going to give it a try later and will let you know how I get on.

I am going to try that too, thanks.

:)

you might need to dust scrape their floury bottoms once they've cooled down a bit...

When you roll them out, don't go thinner than 1" and DO NOT twist the cutter. Just push it down and pull it straight back up again. When you twist it, it stops the scone rising.
The recipe in Nigella's Domestic Goddess book that has cream of tartar in is a good one.

I made cheese & bacon scones for elevenses breakfast this morning. Actually succeeded in enticing DCs downstairs before midday.

My top tip with any scones is go carefully when glazing the tops. It's very tempting to slop the milk on quickly when in a hurry, but any liquid running down the sides will inhibit them from rising properly.

Use the Paul Hollywood recipe. Absolutely brilliant.

Apparently baking them in a roasting tin rather than on a baking tray keeps them soft because the sides of the tin are higher. Buttermilk or yogurt instead of milk is good, I also find a couple of tablespoons of double cream is nice.

Old fashioned as I don't understand metric measures! My scones are always good (if I do say it myself)
80z SR Flour
40z Marg
40z castor sugar
handful or two of raisins.
half pint of milk.

I use a Kenwood but you don't have to:

Mix Flour and Marg - till they are like breadcrumbs - add castor sugar and raisins and pour in milk (not the entire half pint) as could be too much - a little at a time - you need a soft but not sticky dough. Onto floured worktop - shape into a sort of round/oval with your hand and cut out with a scone cutter (keep them quite deep) dash of milk on top of each and bake for 20/30 mins. Yum yum!

I know this is a zombie thread but was looking for a fabulous scone recipe and thank you to stoofadoof I have found it! Just enjoyed a homemade cream tea in the garden (to replace the one I would have had on my annual Devon camping trip ) And it was nothing short of excellent! Xx