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- Irish scones -

INGREDIENTS

• 450g self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 75g butter, at room temperature
• 50g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 220 ml milk

Preparation time: about 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Makes about 20 scones

1.     Lightly grease baking tray. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.

2.     Measure the flour and baking powder. Add the butter and process until a crumble, then add the sugar. Or make by hand by rubbing the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

3.     Beat the eggs together until blended and make up to a generous 300ml with the milk. Gradually add the egg/milk mixture to the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough.

4.     Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it out with your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1-2 cm.  Take the pastry cutter and tap it sharply so that it goes straight through the dough.

5.     Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and golden.

Tips

You can either eat scones on the day of making or freeze once they have cooled. For large scones, this amount of mixture will make 8-10 scones. Eat them with your favorite jam and/or butter.