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Scone recipes

My scone recipes have evolved. Initially I used Stork margarine. Now it’s butter, slightly salted where possible.

The normal ratio is 1:4. That is 1 ounce of butter or margarine to 4 ounces of self-raising flour.

I go for a 1:3 ratio, using butter. The added ingredients are about 1:2 ratio. Used to add limited amount of fruit sugar, but cannot find it at present. Spices are added in quite large amounts. And I always add ground almonds in sweet scones, and parmesan in savoury scones.

You’ll note a mix of ounces, grams and handfuls. Comes from my “Looks about right” school of cooking. And I don't measure out the ingredients any more, just do it by sight. So no two scone mixtures are the same! There are some interesting flavours and textures.

Black Forest Gateau scones

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces self-raising flour (I use wholemeal self-raising)
4 ounces butter
100 grams ground almonds
2-3 ounces fruit sugar or caster sugar
generous shakes of mixed spice, ginger and cinnamon

Kirsch (cherry brandy)
250g cottage cheese
100 grams chocolate mini pieces
Milk (optional)

Pitted (stoneless) cherries; dried, frozen or whatever. Preferably not glacé cherry or in sugared water
Soak cherries for several days in Kirsch, topping up as needed

PREPARATION
Rub butter into flour. Helps if butter is soft

Add almonds and rub in

Stir in sugar and spices. If you are using white flour, the amount of spice should colour the mixture brown!

Drain cherries (keeping Kirsch)

Mix cherries with cottage cheese

Add to flour mixture and stir

Add chocolate mini pieces and stir in

Use some Kirsch and small amount of milk if more moisture needed. Aiming for a firm mixture

COOKING
Heat oven to gas mark 4. A moderate oven, 180 Centigrade or 350 Fahrenheit

Line metal tray with greaseproof paper / baking parchment

Coat your palms with self-raising flour

• Make small balls of scone mixture, golf ball size.
• Coat with same flour, and put on tray. Repeat for rest of mixture

Put in oven for about 20 minutes

Take out, leave for a few minutes, then carefully put scones onto a wire-tray to cool

Note that molten chocolate is very hot!

Share & Enjoy!

PS. Cold Black Forest Gateau Scones benefit from being very slightly warmed before eating. Watch out for that hot chocolate though