Cherry Scones for Cream Tea
Ingredients
- 265g self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 65g lightly salted butter (OR unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt)
- 30g caster sugar
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g glacé cherries, halved
- 130ml warm milk + 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 free range beaten egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Add the milk to a small cup and stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
Put the flour into a mixing bowl, and stir in the baking powder. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour until there are no big lumps left. Mix in the sugar, vanilla and cherries, then slowly add the milk and lemon mixture, using a butter knife to bring the mixture together into a dough.
Flour your kitchen top and pat the dough out and fold it over a couple of times to ensure an even consistency. Shape it back onto a round using the palms of your hands, flour a rolling pin and then roll the dough out to about 3cm deep, making sure it’s an even depth when you cut.
Cut the scones out using a 5/6cm across pastry cutter. Press down firmly, but don’t twist the cutter, carefully lift the cutter and set the scone aside while you cut out the rest. You may need to shape and reroll the dough to get the last scone or two but that’s fine, try not to handle it too much though. Gently brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg.
Scatter a flat bottomed baking tray with a handful of flour and pop it in the oven for a few minutes. Place the scones on the tray and pop it straight back in the oven for 9-10 minutes until light golden brown.
Serving suggestions
Serve with a pot of tea, clotted cream, and jam or curd for a comforting cream tea experience.
