Granny Rowe's Scones

Scones are so simple to make once you try - You could make these daily in minutes. I make sure to sift the flour to ensure the lightness of the scones, and I like to make them for Australia Day gatherings – everyone loves them. Due to the low sugar and fat levels in this recipe - any sugar and fat is in the cream and jam - I happily gave them plain for my child to munch on too. Buy a special jam and top cream (see clotted cream recipe below) - Mardie's homemade fig jam was perfect with these, will have to get that recipe next time : )

"From my Granny Rowe" - Mardie Gray.

 
Pictured: Scones with double cream and Mardie's homemade fig jam

1 egg
1 tsp sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp butter
2 cups self raising flour

Preheat oven to 200°C, put tray in for preheating.

Beat egg with sugar.
Warm milk just enough to melt the butter in.
Add milk to eggs and ‘cut’ in flour.
Dust bench with flour and put mixture onto bench.
Cut to shape with a round biscuit cutter approx. 5 ½ cm in diameter and place on the hot tray.
Bake in oven for approximately 8 - 10 minutes until golden.
Put on cake rack in a tea towel to keep warm until you serve them.

Tips -
If your eggs are at room temp they will beat better and be fluffier – makes for lighter scones.
Instead of sifting the flour just whisk until it is aerated.
My granny always said to ‘cut’ the mixture with a knife, pastry cutter or fingertips to mix it rather than stir with a spoon - the less you mix the better the scones.
It is ok if the mix is a little sloppy.
Dip the base of your scone cutter (or knife if you don’t have a scone cutter) in flour each time before you cut as it will stop the mixture from sticking to the cutter/knife

Serve warm with cream* and jam

*clotted cream is traditional, see recipe below

Makes 12

Clotted Cream

Clotted cream is delicious and decadent - thick, rich and with the consistency of soft butter, slightly paler in colour. It is traditionally made in Cornwall and Devon who are known to top their ice-creams with a dollop.

600ml of cream - fat content of 45 per cent, 1 tbsp white sugar

Place cream in a saucepan, add sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to evaporate some of the liquids. Pour into a dish so the cream comes 2.5cm up the sides. Place in the fridge to set. A thick skin of clotted cream will form on top.

TasteTip - As Eskimos categorise snow, the Russians do for jam. There are three main types - ‘Varen’ye is jam with a higher syrup content and whole berries or large pieces of fruit. ‘Povidlo’ is smooth like jelly. ‘Dzhem’ is jam with a firmer set and puréed frui, which is more familiar to a British preserve.