This fruit scone recipe – you know that feeling when you walk into a kitchen and catch the scent of something baking? Fruit scones do that every time. I can’t help but sneak one while they’re still warm, especially when the fruit inside is all soft and sweet. A bit of butter melting in, maybe some jam if you’re feeling fancy – it’s one of those little pleasures that can turn an ordinary afternoon into something worth remembering. They’re easy enough to whip up, but somehow always feel like a treat.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
Approx. 10 mins
Serves
Makes 10 scones
Dietary
Vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 75g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter, chilled and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
- 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 30g (1oz) caster sugar
- 75g (2 1⁄2oz) sultanas
- About 150ml (5fl oz) milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/425°F/Gas 7). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Put the flour and baking powder into a large chilled mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible.
- Rub in lightly and quickly with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and sultanas.
- Pour 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) of the milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg into the flour mixture.
- Mix together with a round-bladed knife to a soft, but not too sticky dough, adding a bit more milk if needed to mop up any dry bits of mixture in the bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, lightly knead just a few times only until gathered together, then gently roll and pat out to form a rectangle about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep.
- Cut out as many rounds as possible from the first rolling with a 6cm (21⁄2in) cutter (a plain cutter is easier to use than a fluted one) and lay them on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.
- Gather the trimmings, then roll and cut out again. Repeat until you have 10 scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.
- Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Mary Berry Scones: Tips for great scones
- My favourite way to serve scones is split open, rather than sandwiched together. That way, you get lots of jam and cream.
- They’re best served warm, or make them ahead and reheat in a low oven.
- For plain scones, simply omit the sultanas.
- Scones need a light touch or they can become tough and heavy, so handle them as little as possible.
- Roll them out quite thickly to start with; they never rise as much as you think they will.
- As the dough is quite deep, dip the cutter in flour before cutting out each scone to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
This is one of the 7 Classic Recipes by Mary Berry. Have you ever tried Mary’s delicious Buttermilk Scones – they’re wonderfully crumbly and a subtle tanginess.