A quick strawberry jam turns these scones into a rather delicious afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- For the scones
-
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 25g/1oz caster sugar
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, softened
- 150ml/5fl oz whole milk
- 1 free-range egg, beaten for glazing
- For the strawberry compôte
-
- 250g/9oz strawberries, hulled and cut in half
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 60ml/2fl oz water
- To serve
-
- 75g/2½oz butter, softened
- 150g/5½oz clotted cream
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 and lightly grease a baking tray.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and add the butter. Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the milk, a little at a time, working to form a smooth dough.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until 2cm/¾in thick. Using a 5cm/2in pastry cutter, cut the dough, using one sharp tap and not twisting the dough as you cut. Twisting the scone mix will result in an uneven rising.
- Once cut, the scones can be either brushed with the beaten egg for a shiny glaze, or dusted with flour for a matt finish.
- Place the scones on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown.
- For the strawberry compôte, place the strawberries, sugar and 60ml/2fl oz water in a small saucepan and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and thicken.
- To serve, leave the scones to cool, then split in half and add butter, jam and clotted cream to serve.
Top recipe tip
If you have a food processor or freestanding mixer, using butter and flour which has been chilled in the fridge will result in ‘shorter’ scones.