English Scones
by Paul Benjamin

Scones are a part of the traditional English afternoon tea, which is usually held at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. They are usually eaten cut in two, then spread with a layer of clotted cream (or thick whipped cream) and jam on top. I have also included instructions for making cheese scones, which are eaten plain or with a thin layer of butter.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups white flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ stick (or ¼ cup) unsalted butter
½ stick (or ¼ cup) unsalted margarine
2 large eggs, beaten
just over ¼ cup milk, plus a little extra for glazing
½ cup sultanas (or large baking raisins)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F

Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Blend in the margarine and the butter using your fingers (or with a pastry blender) until the mixture is crumbly. Add the eggs, milk and sultanas and mix well with your hands. Then bring out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it has formed a smooth dough. If it feels a little dry still, or the dough splits, add a little more milk.

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin or similar implement to a ½ inch depth. Use a 2 inch diameter cutter or glass to cut out the scones, then keep gathering and rerolling the scraps until you have used all the dough.

Place the cut rounds onto a greased baking sheet, and lightly brush the top of the scones with milk. Bake the scones in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Cheese scone variation

Instead of the sugar, add an extra teaspoon of salt

Instead of the sultanas, use 4oz of shredded cheddar cheese (orange cheddar give added color). But be sure to add the cheese only after you have mixed in the eggs and milk to the other ingredients.

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(This page last updated April 24, 2001)