Scone Recipes

A cup of Tea served with freshly baked Scones is a real treat. Scones are light and delicious served warm, straight from the oven. Scones are traditionally served with Butter, Jam and Clotted Cream. 

Date Scones 
One of my personal favourite recipes for 'yummy' Date Scones.
I've learnt from experience to make a double batch when baking these Scones as they disappear so quickly.

ingredients
makes 12
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
1/2 Cup chopped Dates
2 Tblspns Butter
2 Tblspns Caster Sugar
1 Egg
3/4 - 1 Cup of Milk
1/4 tspn Salt

method
Preheat oven to a hot 200°C 

Sift the Flour and Salt into a bowl. Rub the cold Butter into the Flour. Add the chopped Dates.

Lightly beat the Egg. Add the Sugar and Milk to the beaten Egg and stir until the Sugar is dissolved.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the liquid, mixing to form a moist dough. Roll out on a floured surface, cut into Scones and place on a floured baking tray.

Brush tops with a little beaten Egg and Milk (reserve a tiny amount from your previous steps) Bake in your hot oven for 12 - 15 mins. Allow to cool wrapped up in a tea towel.

Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkin gives a truly delightful taste to Scones. The Pumpkin adds a richness and moistness which is just delicious. Of course they are also that very pretty pale orange Pumpkin colour.

ingredients
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
1/2 Cup cooked, mashed Pumpkin
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tblspns Butter
1 Egg
1/4 tspn Salt
1/3 Cup Milk

method
Preheat your oven to a hot 200°C

Cream the Butter and Sugar. Add the Egg, beating well. Add the mashed Pumpkin.

Sift the Flour and Salt twice and then add alternately to the Scone mix with the Milk. You may or may not use all of the Milk. It will depend on the moistness of the Pumpkin. You should end up with a moist dough.

Knead slightly on a floured surface and then roll out to a 1 inch thickness. Cut out and place on your greased and floured baking tray. Brush the tops with a little milk. Bake in the hot oven until just browned. Wrap in a tea towel after removing the Scones from the oven. 
 
Girdle Scones
Try something new and delicious, by making your next batch of Scones in this traditional way. Girdle scones are sometimes known as Griddle Scones because of how they are cooked.

ingredients
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
1 Tblspn Butter
3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 tspn Salt
Flour for rolling

method
Preheat your griddle. Sift the Flour and Salt into a bowl. Rub in the cold Butter. Make a well in the centre and pour in all of the Milk. Mix with a knife using a cutting motion, until you have a moist dough.

Take Tablespoon sized pieces of the Scone dough. Roll in flour and form a circle with each piece about 1cm thick. Cut each circle into quarters.

Sprinkle a very light dusting of Flour onto your preheated griddle. Place your Scone pieces onto the griddle. Allow to cook long and slow. The Scones will slightly rise and brown on the underside. Turn over each one and repeat for the other side. When cooked, wrap in a tea towel to cool.
 
The History of Scones

From the Gaelic word Sgonn (pronounced like gone), Scones originated in Scotland. The meaning of the word Sgonn meant a shapeless lump of dough.

As Wheat never grew very well in the Scottish Highlands, Scones were originally made from Barley or Oat Flour.

The first Scones were cooked over a fire on a griddle or 'girdle'.

As time passed, the Scone dough was eventually baked in a circular shape and cut into quarters - or farls- similiar to the delicious scones that we all know and love today.

Clotted Cream Recipes

Clotted Cream is a specialty of Devonshire, England. Unpasteurised milk isn't usually freely available here in Australia, so I have included these recipes that try to imitate the delicious qualities of Devonshire or Clotted Cream. 

Mock Devonshire Clotted Cream 

ingredients
1/2 Cup of Cream
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tblspns Icing Sugar

method
Whip the Cream, gradually adding the Icing Sugar. When soft peaks are formed, fold through the Sour Cream. Store in the refrigerator. 

Mock Clotted Cream

ingredients
1 Cup Cream
250g Cream Cheese
1 tspn Icing Sugar

method
Beat all the ingredients together. Store in the refrigerator

A Cream Tea

A Cream Tea is generally a term used to describe a traditional English afternoon tea, at which is served hot Tea, freshly baked Scones, gorgeous Jams and Clotted Cream.  We all like to keep an eye on our waistlines. The reality is though that a Devonshire Tea, a Cream Tea or even a normal Afternoon Tea just wouldn't be the same without Clotted Cream/Devonshire Cream and other assorted 'Cream Goodies.'

There are many different types of Creams available, each one as delicious as the next. 

What is Clotted Cream? 
Clotted Cream is a specialty of Devonshire, England. Clotted Cream is made by gently heating unpasteurised milk until the cream 'clumps or clots' on the surface. Once the milk has cooled, the resulting Clotted Cream is skimmed from the surface.

A delicious Dictionary of Cream
Clotted Cream - A thick, yellow cream made by slowly scalding unpasteurized milk. See detailed description above.
Coconut Cream - Made by simmering shredded coconut and water together, which is then strained to produce a cream.
Cream Tea - see description at the top of this page.
Creme Fraiche - Originating from Brittany and Normandy in France. Cream with a culture added to produce a rich and smooth cream.
Devonshire Cream - From Devonshire, England. Also known as Devon Cream, it is another term used for Clotted Cream.
Heavy Cream - Another term for Whipping Cream - 40% milk fat.
Light Cream - Usually around 20% milk fat.
Mock Cream - Not really a cream but rather a substitute cream made from milk, sugar and butter ( or sometimes lard!! )
Pouring Cream - Cream in its natural state - easily poured - runny.
Sour Cream - A cream to which a lactic acid culture has been added to produce its characteristic sour taste.
Thickened Cream - Pouring Cream to which a thickening agent has been added - usually a gelatine.
Whipped Cream - Cream made light and fluffy by whipping or beating