Eric's Scones

Thanks to Eric Culley of Austwick Hall we have been eating scones since last summer at least once and sometimes twice a week. These are amazing - quick to make, taste fabulous and are quickly wolfed down. Tatty sometimes adds banana or cranberry or even soaks the sultanas in water to make them extra soft. The result is the same: they get eaten hot or cold (without butter, cream or jam) and within 24 hours, they are all gone. Great food for cycling!

Foodstuff you will need: (makes about 12 scones)

• 150g self-raising flour (if you can’t get that use plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
• 50g caster sugar (preferably brown)
• pinch of salt
• 50g unsalted butter
• milk
• 2 (or more) good handfuls of raisins or sultanas

Equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• 12 cup muffin baking tin 
• Wooden spoon
•  2 teaspoons
• Oven
• Wire rack for cooling scones

How to throw it together

• Mix flour, salt and butter together with hands until it forms “breadcrumbs”
• Stir in sugar and then mingle in by hand raisins or sultanas
• Add enough milk so that mixture holds its shape but is moist
• Place whole lot in fridge for at least 30 mins to rest (just as good if left overnight)
• Heat oven to 170 degrees C
• Use 2 teaspoons to place mixture in muffin/ baking tray (after greasing and flouring the pockets in the tray) 

• Place in oven for 15 to 20 mins. As you close the door on the oven spray tops of scones with fine water mist - this will help the scone tops to turn brown.

Eat hot or cold (if you can wait long enough).