Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


June 03, 2009

Stand-back-and-throw: scones



For the love of baked goods: I just can't stop thinking about scones. Big fluffy numbers with jam and cream. Whether they are scones, skoans or biscuits to you, they are just plain delicious to me.

They are my first choice, my stand-by and my last resort, all rolled into one. The multifunction cake. Visitors for morning tea? Make scones. Playing in the park? Throw a scone. Birthday party? Stick a candle in a scone. No meal prepared for the children? Assure them that many other families eat scones for dinner.

I'm a scone lover; devotee; fancier. But not a purist. I am not particularly fond of that rubbing-in malarkey. I know all the great chefs tell you to stick your mitts in whatever you're preparing, but frankly for now I think the blue and green Playdough under my fingernails will suffice.

Anyway, without further ado here's my tried-and-true, stand-back-and-throw version of a teatime treat.

Easy-peasey scones

3 cups self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
85g (3oz) butter, cold and roughly chopped
2 rounded tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
About 1 cup milk + little extra for brushing

  1. Preheat the oven to 230°C
  2. Grease and flour a tray or cover with baking paper or a silicon mat
  3. Place flour and baking powder in the food processor and blitz
  4. Add the butter and process until the mixture looks crumbly
  5. Add the sugar and blitz
  6. Combine the milk, lemon and vanilla (the milk will curdle slightly from the acid)
  7. With the motor running add the milk mixture slowly; stop the motor the dough starts to come together
  8. Lightly flour a board and your hands
  9. Remove the bits of sticky mess from the bowl
  10. Pat the dough very gently until its of an even thickness all over - about 5cm (or 2") thick
  11. Cut out scones with a floured round cutter (around 6cm or 2½" diameter - I use a wine glass)
  12. Place the scones on the tray - its OK to put them relatively close together so they can support each other as they rise
  13. Brush tops with little milk
  14. Bake for about 12 minutes
  15. Cool in a fresh linen tea towel on a wire rack (cooled scones can be frozen)
Hide the food processor and stick a bit of butter under your finger nails, before serving the scones to your friends. They will be none the wiser about the shortcut.

If you're old enough to remember the Goodies classic "Bunfight At The OK Tea Rooms" - which featured some genuine scone ... er, skoan ... humour - you might like this.

19 comments:

  1. I h rubbing in the butter too. I learnt the hard way that melting the butter however does not lead to light, fluffy scones!

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  2. My mother also told me not to use the word hate. Perhaps she was behind me when I was typing! So anyway edit my above post to read I strongly dislike rubbing in the butter!

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  3. Such a great idea - we've just finished a batch now! Thanks for the recipe. Not having a food processor I've just discovered that 3 year olds mush the butter through the flour quite well. Probably not CWA approved, but delish just the same....

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  4. That one's going straight to the pool room (ahem - recipe folder).

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  5. Are there families who don't eat scones for dinner?

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  6. we often have scones jam and cream for dinner and some people over the years have thought I was mad, but I love it, it's great having a break from a 'regular' meal I reckon

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  7. Um feeling like scones. WIll need to get some cream tomorrow (wink)

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  8. I have never had a lot of success with traditionally made scones. I will have to give your recipe a whirl!!

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  9. Date scones are my absolute favourite, but the old scone with jam and cream is hard to beat too! We used to have scones and jam and cream for dinner occasionally when I was growing up.

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  10. We LOVE scones here too. You must try Lemonade Scones, I can make them and be eating them in 20mins. Just chuck 3cups SR Flour, 1 cup Lemonade and 1 cup cream in a bowl. Mix with a knife until combined and jump to your step 8. If I hadn't already make pikelets today I'd be making some scones right now.

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  11. i haven't made scones for years, might have to try these :D Would it make a difference if I used lactose free milk you think?

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  12. OK I've gotta try these! Thanks for the humorous recipe!! Got my morning off to a GREAT start!

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  13. Thanks for the lemonade scone recipe Lisa! We like quick and delicious around here :)

    Jennifer Rose, I think lactose free milk should do the job just fine. I sometimes use part milk-part yoghurt .... and yoghurt is supposed to be quite low in lactose (the sugar is burnt up in the fermentation process).

    Good luck!

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  14. I've always been scared of scones so have ignored the making - not eating - of them. I'll be trying this recipe though.

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  15. There's nothing better than a fresh scone with strawberry jam and a cup of tea.... ahhh.. I know what I'm craving now :)

    Actually I WAS craving them badly early in my pregnancy in Japan where I couldn't buy them and didn't have a decent oven to make them! Hubby made some pretty decent attempts though considering.

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  16. Now I can't stop thinking about scones! But I don't want to make them - I want one of the ones in your picture. Maybe with a pot of tea.... shall I bring the tea..!!!

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  17. oh yummy! Definitely saving this recipe. I've had scones twice this week already!

    Apologies for my lack of reading lately - I took a break from the craft world and have just arrived back to 1800 craft blog posts - eek!

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  18. I've been doing lots of scones..aka, biscuits...for dinner lately. The family is starting to get a tad less impressed. I do do the fancy rubbing in, though. Do I get to call it fancy, when I don't actually currently own a food processor???? :p

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