Not the CWA

Unbaked scone with unconventional cutter
Originally uploaded by Hoppo Bumpo

I love scones.

A fluffy warm scone in winter is beyond compare. Lots of butter (ok, you've got it out of me ... I admit I really mean 45% fat cream) and sticky jam. Yummo.

I've haboured a secret fancy for many years to enter the baking competition at the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show. While I am still a stay-at-home-mum, its now or never ... its time to take scones to the Next Level.

I've located the Art and Crafts Competition Schedule for this year's show and am now faced with the vexed question of which category to enter. Decisions, decisions. Am I entering Class 232 Plain Scones or Class 244 Plain Scones from a set recipe?

Let's see. Class 244 uses a recipe that I imagine to be close to that of the classic CWA (Country Women's Association) scone. A scone dear to the hearts of so many Australians. A baked treat beloved of fancy afternoon teas, school fetes and shearing sheds the country over. Light, fluffy, golden brown.

Is this the recipe for me? Let's see. Four things stand out in the recipe:

1. measurements
2. finger tips
3. mixing lightly
4. scone cutter

Here's what I do.

1. Get out the food processor
2. Stand back and hurl in the flour, sugar and butter
3. Blast it
4. Take aim and throw in milk
5. Blast it again
6. Wipe flour and milk off my face (after forgetting to put that little pushing gadget into the chute of the food processor, then peering in to check progress ... get's me every time)
7. Scrape the ensuing sticky mess onto a floured board - pat it a bit
8. Get out a wine glass and cut out scones

Looks like I'm more of a Class 232 gal.