Sweet Scones

No traditional Cornish or Devon Cream Tea is served without these wonderful light scones. In Cornwall they are served split with butter, clotted cream and jam and in Devon they are served split with butter, jam and clotted cream.

Ingredients
8oz/250g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
1oz/28g diced butter at room temperature
2oz/55g castor sugar
1 beaten medium egg
a little buttermilk

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour and the baking powder into the sieve.
3 Shake the flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl.
4 Add the diced butter.
6 Using the fingertips only, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs..
7 Add the castor sugar.
8 Stir the sugar into the mixture thoroughly with a metal spoon.
9 Make a well in the centre.
10 Add the beaten egg.
11 Mix the egg into the breadcrumbs.
12 If the mixture is dry add a little buttermilk (the mixture should not be sticky).
13 Sprinkle a work surface with a little flour.
14 Place the ball of dough on the work surface.
15 Using the palm of the hand gently pat the dough until the dough is 1" thick.
16 Dip a cutter in the flour.
17 Stamp out as many scones out of the dough as possible.
18 Gently roll up the dough.
19 Pat the dough to 1" thick.
20 Stamp out more scones.
21 Gather up the final scraps of dough and make 1 more scone.
22 Place all of the scones on an oiled baking tray upside down.
23 Brush the top of the scones with a little milk.
24 Bake immediately at 210 degrees centigrade/gas mark 8 for 10 to 12 minutes or until a pale golden brown and slightly risen.
25 Place the baking tray onto a wire cooling rack for a couple of minutes.
26 Transfer the scones onto the baking tray.

Serve hot, warm or cold buttered with jam and cream.

Makes 8 to 10 scones

Notes
The scones do not rise well so the dough has to be thick.

The scones maybe frozen at -18 degrees centigrade

Notes
Milk, soured milk or yogurt can be added instead of buttermilk.