Big fluffy fruit scones recipe

[FawnDrench]

Have been looking through all the usual sites but there are just so many recipes and slightly different ingredients, ratios and methods to choose from.

So which recipe do I use to achieve really lovely fruit scones?

Many thanks.

One from the WI or Mary Berry

I second Mary Berry.
I'm not a massive fan or a regular baker but I used the recipe years ago and it was so successful that I've stuck with it and they're delicious 😋

Three secrets to big fluffy scones:

1. Use either sour milk or a squeeze of lemon into your milk to help it sour. It reacts with the baking powder in your flour and gives volume fast.

1. Make sure your oven is hot. 200oC

1. Pat out your scones, never roll. And make sure they are really thick 1 1/2 inches.

Resulting in beautiful fruit, plain, cherry or cheese and chive, every time .

I agree with @planningaheadtoday.
Recently had a weekend making & testing for the best scone recipe!
I'd also add to make sure your tray is really hot as well.
Best scones ever!

Thank you for the suggestions and helpful pointers.

@D1ngledanglers - a weekend scone-off! How exciting!
So which recipe came out best?

Nigella's recipe Lily's scones are best I have ever made. Mixture of veg shortening and butter and (crucially) cream of tartar. So fluffy and light. Made with and without fruit and adapted it for cheese scones too. Also mow blitz fats/flour in mixer to get breadcrumb effect to reduce handling. Agree no rolling is best.

@FawnDrench
I have a freezer full still - ran out of jam whilst testing!

I found a little lemon juice in the milk & no egg to be the best recipe.
I used the BBC Good food classic scone 998 reviews or something...

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-scones-jam-clotted-cream%3famp

@planningaheadtoday

Three secrets to big fluffy scones:

1. Use either sour milk or a squeeze of lemon into your milk to help it sour. It reacts with the baking powder in your flour and gives volume fast.

1. Make sure your oven is hot. 200oC

1. Pat out your scones, never roll. And make sure they are really thick 1 1/2 inches.

Resulting in beautiful fruit, plain, cherry or cheese and chive, every time .

Useful tips - thank you.

Can you pop the full recipe you use on here please?

Another tip which might be covered in the recipe, is to soak your sultanas in tea - normal tea, no milk - even if you only soak them for 20 minutes you'll notice the difference.

I am loving this thread

I find buttermilk scones rise best, probably because buttermilk is slightly acidic.

This recipe works every time, I can make it with my eyes closed I've done it that many times!

200g sr flour
50g butter
30g sugar (only if you want plain or fruit scones)
1tsp baking powder
1 egg
Milk

1. Rub butter into flour, sugar and baking powder until breadcrumbs
2. Add any dried fruit/cheese depending on flavour
3. Beat egg with a splash of milk
4. Pour most of liquid into dry ingredients and mix until it hols together
5. Pat out onto floured surface keeping at least 3-4cm thick
6. Cut out with one firm press with the cutter (don't twist the cutter)
7. Place on a very lightly oiled baking sheet
8. Bake for approx. 13 minutes in 180 fan

This will make 4 large scones, 5-6 medium size. The basic recipe is easy to double up as 4 scones are clearly never enough

@ajandjjmum I do it all by eye and texture. I've been making them for 40 years so I don't use a recipe as such.

It's approximately:

4 cups of SR flour
1/3 smaller (normal) tub of flora/ marg
Sugar to taste (handful)
Pinch of salt
Semi skimmed milk with good squeeze of lemon.

Rub marg into flour, sugar & salt. Stir in milk with a knife until it forms a dough that's not too sticky.

Always preheat oven and flat tray

Pat out thickly (1 1/2 inches) on floured surface

Use a glass or cutter to cut straight down, don't twist the cutter. Or use a knife to cut squares.

Scatter flour onto the hot tray then place scones leaving air gap between.

Egg wash or not, it looks better but not essential.

15 mins very hot oven (200) then check by turning upside down and tapping. Listen for a hollow sound then they are ready.

Don't over bake. If in doubt make extra to break open and assess.

Sultana scones, as PP said, soak in boiling tea to soften. It makes a huge difference. Add as much as you like.

Cheese and chive scones with cheese served on the side with pickle is divine.

For cheese scones use strong cheddar. Too much cheese makes the inside greasy so you want maximum flavour for minimal cheese.

I grate half a block (200g) for the above mix. Leave out the sugar. Divide the grated cheese in half and stir half in along with some chopped chives just before the milk. If you have onion powder a tablespoon mixed into the flour at the beginning is a good combo too.

Then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the patted out mix before cutting.

Scones only last a day so only make enough for that day or freeze them.

I really want to make some now. It takes 20 mins from deciding to eating!

Thank you for your recipe - that's my afternoon sorted!

A friend of mine makes amazing scones, she reckons cream of tartar is the crucial ingredient

planningaheadtoday
The scones were a massive success - so proud of myself! The recipe is now stored under Planningaheadtoday's Scones. Thank you.

I shared with our oldies, and they were most impressed.

My Mum was a domestic science teacher - a great cook - but I was always very switched off to learning anything more than the very basics. Since she died - I suppose moreso during these miserable times - I'm thoroughly enjoying trying new recipes, and I'm amazed at how much knowledge I must have absorbed through seeing her cook, in terms of different methods etc.

I’ve been making the `Paul Hollywood scone recipe and I’ve been so impressed. Normally my scones are like little bricks but these rise beautifully and are so soft and fluffy. The main difference between that and other recipes seems to be the use of strong bread flour instead of normal plain flour.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_scones_70005

[quote D1ngledanglers]@FawnDrench
I have a freezer full still - ran out of jam whilst testing!

I found a little lemon juice in the milk & no egg to be the best recipe.
I used the BBC Good food classic scone 998 reviews or something...

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-scones-jam-clotted-cream%3famp[/quote]
Bit late to the party here, but I made some scones today using this recipe and they were absolutely lovely, best I think I've ever made! Nice big fluffy scones. I did the soaking sultanas in tea thing and added them to the basic dough. The soaking made them lovely and moist. I didn't warm the milk but otherwise I did everything as suggested, including adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk, pre-heating the baking sheet, keeping the dough tall and not overworking. Will do again!

Shouldn't be egg in a proper scone recipe. Butter should be really cold too.

Buttermilk is best, although milk soured with lemon juice will do if you don't have buttermilk.

Handle the dough as little as possible too. Bake in a really hot oven.

Lemonade scones. The recipe was in 5 o'clock Kitchen or Art of the Larder, but quick search brings up loads of similar recipes. I think it was just lemonade, cream and s/r flour. Best I've ever made - I'm sure they'd still work with fruit. You won't get the scone shape though as it's quite a wet mix.

I swear by a trick I found in my mums homemade scrapbook of recipes: heat the milk, melt the butter, dash of lemon juice in last, heat the baking tray. Basically, heat all the ingredients and then mix them together by hand for no more than a minute. Pinch big wedges off the mixture, chuck them on the tray and straight in the oven. Once I’ve got everything measured, I heat everything possible and within a couple of minutes it’s all mixed up and in the oven. Scoffing of the entire batch can occur within 20 minutes of thinking “ooo I just fancy a scone” 😂