Classic Sultana Scones Recipes

SULTANA SCONES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking tray.
• Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
• Stir in the sultanas, sugar and then the milk to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
• Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.
• Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and good jam and maybe some clotted cream.

CLASSIC SULTANA SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and lightly grease a baking tray.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, baking powder & salt mixture.
• Stir the sugar and sultanas into the flour mixture.
• Add enough yogurt or other liquid to the dry ingredients to form a soft dough: you may not need all of the 150ml, so add gradually without making the dough too wet.
• Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface then roll out no thinner than 2 - 3 cm.Cut out scones, re-rolling the scraps to make more. A 7cm cutter should make 8-9 scones.Place the cut out scones on the greased baking tray.
• Brush a little yogurt thinned with water (or the other liquid you used) over the tops of the scones then sprinkle with sugar.
• Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until risen and golden (10-15 min).
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.
• Serve slightly warm, split and spread with butter plus cream and jam if liked.
• If not using straight away, cool completely before storing in an airtight container or freezing.

EASY SULTANA SCONES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the flour and butter into a large bowl. Gently start to rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, allowing it to fall from a short height above the bowl. This will incorporate air into the scones, making them beautifully light. Continue doing this until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add a pinch of salt, the sugar, sultanas, eggs and enough milk to bring the mixture together into a soft dough. The amount of milk will vary accordingly to the size of the eggs, softness of the butter and temperature of the room. Be careful not to overwork the tough or it will become tough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Generously flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out to a 2cm thickness. Cut into squares or triangles using a sharp knife, then transfer the scones to the prepared baking tray, spacing them apart to leave room for spreading. Brush the tops with a little milk, then bake for 10 mins. Leave to cool until just warm, then serve with clotted cream or butter and jam, if you like.

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.