Easy Homemade Scones

When the temperatures start to get cooler (that’s now here in the Southern Hemisphere), it’s time to bake old favourites. And what could be better than freshly baked scones with your favourite cuppa (while soaking up the warmth of the winter sun)?

Put it on the table:

There are so many different variations of scones – just think, for example, of chopped dates or almonds, dried cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. The options are plentiful, but today I’m going to show you how to bake the most basic scones with ingredients that will be in everyone’s pantry.

Ingredients for scones

275g (2 cups) cake flour

15ml (1 tablespoon) baking powder

2ml (½ teaspoon) salt

50g (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine

1 egg

125ml (½ cup) milk

Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F and grease a large baking tray. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

Sift the dry ingredients

Rub the butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse crumbs.

Tip: Do not let the butter become warm or you will end up with hard, flat scones.

Rub the butter into the dry mixture

Beat the egg and top it up with milk to 200ml. Set aside 10ml of the egg milk to use later.

Beat the egg and add milk

Set aside 10ml of the egg milk

Add the egg milk slowly to the flour mixture. Using a butter knife, gently cut in the liquid to form a soft dough.

Use a butter knife to form a soft dough

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out to a thickness of 2cm.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface

Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter (but a glass works just as well). Place the scones on a greased baking tray and brush them with the egg milk set aside. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Cut out rounds and place on a greased baking tray

Scones taste best when they’re still slightly warm. The most traditional spreads are, of course, strawberry jam and cream. But for me, there’s nothing better than apricot jam and cheese. And the saltiness of Marmite also works well on a warm scone.

Freshly baked scones with my favourite spreads

Make tea in one of your beautiful teacups, grab a chair and enjoy your own freshly baked scones in the warm winter sun.

Tea and scones turn any good day into a great day