Cookbook:Plain Scones

Plain Scones
Category	Dessert recipes
Yield	8–10 scones
Time	35 minutes
Difficulty

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Ingredients

• 450 g (2 cups / 16 oz / 1 lb) cake flour, plus more as needed
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 5 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 120–180 ml (½–¾ cup / 4–6 fl oz) heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• Fruit jam (usually raspberry or strawberry)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F / Gas Mark 8).
2. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
3. Add the egg and just enough cream to form a slightly sticky dough. If it’s too sticky, add a little flour, but very little; it should still stick a little to your hands.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice, then press it into a 2 cm (¾ inch) thick circle. Cut out 5 cm (2 inch) rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass.
5. Put the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut out more scones.
6. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of cream and sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown. Let them cool and serve immediately.