Baking class - strawberry and cream scones - Conversations through the middle

This recipe comes from the Be-Ro Book again, which was a staple in our house when I was growing up as baking was a regular event – pies, tarts, cakes and scones were all homemade, never bought from shops. This was one of my favourites and still is, but rather than just butter I thought I would add a touch of summer (seeing as there’s precious little evidence of it outside) with strawberries and cream. I have used double cream but go with whatever you prefer, whipping cream is an alternative, or if you’re feeling really indulgent there’s always clotted…

I will upload images for this tomorrow hopefully as I’m unable to make the scones today – I’m off to see The Boss at Hyde Park so I’m cultivating my Rock Chic persona rather than my Baking Chic one. I’ve got my pac-a-mac at the ready and my brolly is in my bag. Sexy.

Ingredients
225g Self raising flour
Pinch salt
50g Butter
25g Caster sugar
50g Sultanas
1 Medium egg (beaten with milk to make up to 150ml liquid)

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan/ gas mark .7

Grease a large baking tray.

Sieve the flour and salt together, rub in the butter until it resembles small breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar and sultanas.

Add the egg and milk mixture, keep a little back for brushing the tops of the scones. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until they form a dough.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead lightly (do not over knead the dough or you will end up with hard biscuits rather than scones). Roll out the dough until it is around 1cm thick then using a scone cutter or something round – the top of a mug or cup works well – cut out circles of dough.

Gather up the remaining pastry, roll out again and cut out more circles. Place them on the baking sheet – you should have around eight scones.

Brush the top of the scones with the remainder of the egg/milk mixture and bake them in the over for around 10 minutes.

Turn the scones out to cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut them in half and fill with cream, topped with strawberries, then a little more cream and sandwich together. Yummy!