Delia Smith Plain Scones Food

PLAIN SCONES!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F / 230°C / gas 8 and lightly grease a baking tray.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar. Add all the milk and mix lightly into a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead briefly. Do not overwork the dough or your scones will be tough!
• Roll the dough out to 1.25cm / 1/2 in thickness and cut out rounds.
• Place on the greased baking tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake for 7-10 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.
• Cool on a wire rack!

SMALL FETA, OLIVE AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES SCONES

Steps:

• First sift the flours and baking powder into a large bowl, tip in any bran left in the sieve, then add the cayenne and mustard powder and, using a knife, work in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus the reserved tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
• When the mixture looks like lumpy breadcrumbs stir in the chopped thyme, cubed Feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
• Now in a separate bowl beat the egg with the 2 tablespoons of milk and add half this mixture to the other ingredients.
• Using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough, adding more of the egg and milk as it needs it – what you should end up with is a dough that is soft but not sticky.
• On a floured board, roll the dough out to a depth of 1 inch (do not roll it out thinner they might not rise well) stamp out the scones using a 2 inch cutter, plain or fluted.
• Put the cut-out pieces on a baking tray and brush them with the milk.
• Finally top each scone with the crumbled Feta, and put the tray on the highest shelf of the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes or until they've turned a golden colour.
• Then remove them to a wire rack to cool.

CHERRY SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the flour, ½ tsp salt, bicarb and butter into a bowl and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar.
• Quickly mix in the buttermilk, a splash of milk, vanilla and cherries and bring together to form a soft dough. Press out onto a lightly floured surface, to about 3cm thick. Cut out with 5cm cutters.
• Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet, brush with the remaining milk and bake for 12-15 mins until golden and well risen. Serve with clotted cream and jam.

DROP SCONES (SO EASY)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a cookie sheet.
• Mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Cut in butter until fine crumbs; food processor is best.
• Place in large bowl; add cranberries and raisins.
• Beat milk and egg with a fork.
• Add milk and egg mixture to flour mixture; stir with fork until moistened.
• Drop by 12 heaping spoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with the 1 Tablespoon sugar.
• Bake 13 minutes or until golden.
• Cool on rack.