Saturday Scones

I spent Saturday cleaning and catching up with the laundry, how exciting.  That will teach me to spend half the summer by the sea. Playing catch up is worth it though. Back to the coast Monday morning until Friday teatime.  The caravan is always spotless but the house is always a mess. I have been a bit fed up though because the boiler in the house is broken so we haven't got any hot water.  The plummer can't fix it until next week so we are visiting family for showers and boiling kettle after kettle of water for everything else.  It makes my wonder how they ever managed in days gone by! Plus it is going to be expensive, it looks like we could possibily need a new boiler. Bang go our savings! Oh well.

I thought I'd treat us to some scones for tea to cheer us up, baking is a great stress buster.

Here is the recipe I used, so simple and delicious (Jane Hornby's recipe from Good Food Magazine) - I followed the recipe exactly, the only thing I changed was that I made smaller ones so that gave 16 in total.

350g self-raising flour

¼ tsp salt 

1 tsp baking powder

85g butter , cut into cubes

3 tbsp caster sugar

175ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

dash lemon juice

beaten egg

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
2. Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
3. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
4. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
5. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream.

If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.

Comments

[Gill]

Oh you poor thing, what a nightmare! We take hot water for granted don't we, still one bonus, your gas bill might be a bit lower! You might have to decamp to the caravan until your boiler's replaced, although bit of a commute to work I guess :)
Those scones look delish, I'm baking a cake later, might make some scones too now you've tempted me.
Gill x

[Ali]

I hear you on the 'playing catch up' thing - it's a real slog. But even worse without hot water.

[Tracy]

Oh, no...what a nightmare! Hope your boiler & water-works are put to rights soon...In the meantime there's these lovely scones! Thanks so much for the recipe :o) ((HUGS))