A Cracking Recipe for Scones

Help drive costs in your restaurant, garden centre or cafe down by producing some simple food products in house.

Very recently I was with a client and they wanted to get their chefs baking and producing some food items that could be produced in house for very little cost yet not be too tricky for a relatively unskilled team to make.

One of the recipes we introduced was for scones.  I love scones and I think there is nothing finer than sitting down to a pot of tea and a couple of scones.  Probably controversially, I like mine with lashings of rustic salted butter.  One of my favourites being Abernethy butter from Ireland!  I cannot really recall where this recipe came from as it was scribbled down in an old diary, but I must say the scones it produces are delicious.

As well as the recipe, you need to bake these with a bit of love and you will be delighted with the results.

Ingredients for approximately 12 (depending on the size of the cutter)

450g self raising flour

1 tsp salt

110g butter or margarine

60g caster sugar

80g sultanas

300ml milk

1 egg beaten to glaze

1. Flour a baking sheet.
2. Sift the flour and the salt into a robot coupe/similar mixer bowl.
3. Add the butter – blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Add the sugar and briefly blitz.
5. Add the sultanas and mix in with a spatula.  (Or any other dried fruit).
6. Add the milk to the mixture in a bowl and fold gently together.  Only add the milk until the dough becomes light and spongy and not too wet.
7. Knead very gently on a floured surface making sure not to overwork.
8. Pat down the dough with your fingers to a depth of about 3cm.
9. Cut out the scones.  I like to use a 4cm cutter so that each person gets 2 scones.
10. Place the scones on the baking tray and brush with the egg glaze.  Place in an oven at 220C and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

These scones can be slightly undercooked and frozen and then reheated and the standard is still very good.

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