Robins Fruited Scones Food

ROBIN'S FRUITED SCONES

Steps:

• Chop the larger pieces of dried fruit and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder,salt and baking soda in a bowl. Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together egg yolks and sour cream. Reserve your whites for the glaze/topping. Add sourcream mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in dried fruit and mix just till combined. Turn onto floured surface and knead gently 6-8 times with well floured hands. Pat out into a circle or rectangle about half inch thick. Cut a circle like a pie and will give you larger traditional shaped scones. For more smaller scones I cut the rectangle into strips then cut each strip into small triangles. You can either brush with egg white and sprinkle cinnamon suger over tops at this point and then transfer to pan. Or I transfer to ungreased baking sheets and then brush on egg white and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, or golden brown. Ajust time for size scones made. Will rise as bake so give space between on pan. Best served fresh and warm from the oven with Devonshire cream and rasberry preserves. But even next day are still light and tender. Do not over work mixing and kneeding the dough or will get dense and dry.

FRUIT SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
• Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and sultanas and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
• Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
• Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.