Scones

Scones. very English indeed. scones are served either at breakfast or tea. they are best eaten fresh, i.e. warm from the oven, with some cream and jam. yum. i've been making scones for years now, though not everyday. the secret to making good scones is that you dont have to knead it like a bread dough (just like making pie crust, the less, the better). so it pays to be light-handed. the best news is that it doesnt require a lot of ingredients.

Basic Scones (10 pcs, depending on the size of the cutter)

2 cups self raising flour
a pinch of salt
30g butter, cut into small pieces (better to use butter than margarine as the former has a delicate flavour)
1/2 cup of fresh milk (i used less than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of water

sift flour and salt together into a large bowl. add butter and rub in lightly using fingertips. combine milk and water. make a well in the centre of the flour. pour in the liquid all at once, reserving about a teaspoon for glazing. mix quickly to a soft dough. turn onto a floured board. knead lightly. roll out to form a round about 2cm thick. cut using a floured plain round cutter. place on a greased oven tray and glaze with milk. preheat the oven to 220C and bake for 10-12 mins ( it takes me 20 mins, but ovens vary in terms of cooking time) until the scones sound hollow when tapped. cool on wire rack. serve with jam and cream.

how to serve the scone. split the scone in half, so that you have 2 rounds, and spread with some jam or cream or butter.