Scones three ways
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Makes 8 of each flavour
Serve a trio of homemade scones for afternoon tea, with white chocolate and cranberry, lemon and blueberry and apple crumble flavours.
Ingredients
For the base dough
- 350g/12oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g/3½oz cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125ml/4fl oz whole milk, warmed
- 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze
For the white chocolate and cranberry scones
- 50g/1¾oz white chocolate chips
- 50g/1¾oz dried cranberries
- cranberry and blueberry jam, to serve
- clotted cream, to serve
For the lemon and blueberry scones
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 75g/2½oz blueberries
- lemon curd, to serve
- clotted cream, to serve
For the apple crumble scones
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 75g/2½oz Bramley apples, chopped
- 20g/¾oz unsalted butter
- 20g/¾oz light brown soft sugar
- 40g/1½oz plain flour
- blackberry jam, to serve
- clotted cream, to serve
Method
To make the base dough, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper, then transfer to the oven to preheat.
Tip the flour, salt, baking powder and butter into a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour mixture until breadcrumbs are formed.
Add the sugar and blend briefly. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract and slowly add the warmed milk (you may not need all of it). Blend again briefly.
To make the three different types of scones, split the dough evenly into three bowls. To one bowl, fold in the white chocolate and cranberries. To the second bowl, fold in the lemon zest and blueberries. To the final bowl, add the chopped apples and ground cinnamon.
Working with each dough separately, dust the work surface with some flour and tip the dough onto it – fold the dough over a few times so it is smooth but do not overwork it! Roll or pat the dough out until it is about 5cm/2in thick.
Dip a 4-5cm/2in round cutter into the spare flour and cut out the scones – you will probably get four out of the first go. Repeat until all the dough is used.
Carefully take the tray out of the oven and place the scones onto it. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Repeat with the final two doughs.
For the white chocolate and cranberry scones, and the lemon and blueberry scones, bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Leave to cool slightly when baked.
For the apple crumble scones, rub the butter, sugar and flour together to form breadcrumbs. Sprinkle and press the mixture onto the glazed scones and bake in the oven for 10 minutes – leave to cool slightly when baked.
For the white chocolate and cranberry scones, serve with cranberry jam and clotted cream. For the lemon and blueberry scones, serve with lemon curd and clotted cream. For the apple crumble scones, serve with blackberry jam and clotted cream.
