CLASSIC ENGLISH SCONES

These scones are the softest, lightest and fluffiest, moist and flavourful, and remember when you make this recipe, light hands make a light scone!

Ingredients

350 g self-raising flour *** Please seive US Measure is 2 cups and 13 tablespoons
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp caster or regular sugar
3 oz or 85 g butter cubed
3/4 cup or 175 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
A squeeze lemon juice
beaten egg to glaze
1 cup or 200 g raisins dried fruit etc of your choice. (I used raisins)

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 220C/ 425 F / Gas 7. Also pre heat your baking tray.
In a mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, salt and baking powder,and combine.
Add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Using a flat bladed knife, stir in the sugar. Then add the dried fruit if using.
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 2 minutes.
Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a flat bladed knife. Once combined, place it on a well dusted work surface.

Notes

Try to handle the dough as little as possible, and not be heavy handed. This will cause the scones to be heavy and tough
Take a 5cm (2 inch) cutter -( Plain cutters cut more cleanly and give a better rise than patterned edge cutters ) and dip it into some flour. Plunge in a single movement into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones.
*** See tip below for cutting.
By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Try not to over work the dough, be light with your hands when reshaping.
To ensure your scones rise vertically in the oven, when you use your cutter, be sure to cut the scone in one vertical action straight down through the dough. When removing the cutter, DO NOT do a twisting action, but remove the cutter straight up. If you twist the cutter, this will destroy the structure of the dough and you will not get the scones to rise properly with the classic break apart in the middle look.
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.