Let’s get one thing straight. If you think you’re too busy, over worked and dog damned tired to be baking think again, you can make these easy scones! And they are yummy! I learnt how to make these at school and they’ve been a firm favourite with the family since then.
It’s a doddle, in just ten easy steps. This is how I make them and how you can accommodate for a bit of quick baking to feed those hungry baby birds when they come home from school or for family and guests. If you have kids it’s also a great first recipe to get them used to cooking.
Ingredients:
250g self raising flour, plus a bit more for dusting
a pinch of salt
60g of raisins
55g of butter
150ml of milk (I use whole milk)
two teaspoons of vanilla essence (get the good stuff, it does make a difference)
25g Caster sugar
A baking tray, wooden spoon, rolling-pin, a round cutter, a bowl, a working oven and you.
Scenario: you just got home, you’re bone tired and dinner needs making.
Step 1: Gather ingredients – all of them.
Step 2: Pre-heat the oven to about 180 degrees fan assisted, 200 degrees or gas mark 6. So a moderately hot oven.
Step 3: Get a baking tray, line with grease proof paper and sprinkle some self raising flour so that the scones don’t stick.
Step 4: Measure out the ingredients.
Step 5: Put the butter, flour and salt in a large bowl. Get your fingers in there and mix it up until you get a breadcrumb effect. N.B. It’s usually at this point you realise the butter is too hard as it’s been in the fridge – I cheat and zap it in the microwave (before adding other ingredients) for a few seconds until it softens. Don’t overdue do it as it will be too hot and melted!
Step 6: Add the sugar and raisins, and give it a good mix.
Step 7: Now add nearly all the milk and vanilla extract – it gets pretty gooey at first so I use a wooden spoon for a bit. Once mixed, flour your rolling-pin and work top or whatever board you want to roll it out on.
Step 8: Roll out the dough to about 2cm thickness and use your cutter to cut out those scones.
Step 9: Glaze the tops of the scones with milk and place in the oven. Set timer for about 12-15 minutes. Now you can start on prepping for dinner.
Once some time has passed, pierce with a skewer to make sure it’s cooked through. (If the skewer comes out clean then it’s cooked). If you have a rubbish oven like mine with crap calibration, you might need to turn the tray so they’re evenly cooked. Take out and cool whilst dinner gets made.
Step 10: Enjoy with some jam and clotted cream or if you’re my family just scoff them plain whilst they’re hot and then complain about scolded mouths.
The whole thing should not take more than 30 minutes and for more than half of that time it’s in the oven. If you rarely bake it may take you a little longer as you figure things out but do it a few times and the quicker you will get at it.
Let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Lil' Ronin 