Classic Scone Recipe

Ingredients

• 350g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 90g butter, not too cold and cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 150ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A lemon
• beaten egg (optional glaze)
• jam and clotted cream

Instructions

Put 350g of self-raising flour in a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder.

Add the butter, then rub together with a fork and then your fingers until the mix looks like breadcrumbs, try to remove most of the big lumps. Add the caster sugar and break down all the lumps with the fork and then your fingers.
Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice (about 20ml) to the milk, then set aside for a minute.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and put a baking tray inside it.

Make a well in the centre of your flour mix and pour in the milk. Mix together with a fork and your fingers until you have a smooth dough (it shouldn’t take long, use a bit more flour if the mix is too wet).

Then pull out small burger patty shapes from the dough, use your thumb and forefinger to make them nice and symmetrical and then squish them between your hands leaving them at least an inch tall (or use a cookie cutter type thing)

Brush the tops with a beaten egg if using (I find they still turn out great without) and arrange on the baking tray with a bit of space between.

Bake for ten minutes until well risen and golden. Serve with clotted cream and jam, preferably instantly, or heat them a little in the microwave or oven if serving another day.