Basic Scones

When we do not have enough bread for tomorrow's breakfast, this is what I will be thinking of - Scones. I first tasted it at Cameron Highlands. And I do enjoyed having tea with scones at David Brown Restaurant at Bukit Bendera too, the scones really taste good when add on with butter and jam.

What you need: ( makes 11 scones )

375g all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
one pinch of salt
75g cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
45g caster sugar
2 (large) egg plus enough fresh milk to make up to 210ml

What you do:
1.Lightly beat the eggs and add in fresh milk to make up to 210ml.

2.Sift all purpose flour and baking powder. Add in salt and sugar and mix the dry ingredients together. With fork, mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If the butter starts to melt  during this process, stop and place the mixture in the freezer for 10-15mins to prevent the butter from melting further. Continue the process when the mixture is well chilled.

3.Keep the mixing bowl (with the flour-butter mixture) in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

4.Remove bowl from fridge. Add in egg & milk mixture and stir until just combined. The mixture will be sticky, moist and lumpy. Give a few light kneading (not more than 10 seconds) so that it comes together to form a dough.

5.Cover the dough with cling wrap. Keep dough in fridge for about 30mins. This step is to keep the dough cold in order to prevent the butter from melting. During baking, the heat will cause these tiny bits of butter to melt into the dough and leaves pockets and layers in the biscuits for them to rise nicely. If the butter melts before baking, the scones will be hard and flat.

6.On a lightly floured surface,  cut out the dough ( into 1 inche - height ) with a lightly floured  biscuit cutter . In order for the biscuits to rise evenly, press the cutter directly down and lift it straight up without twisting. Dip the cutter into some flour after each cut.

7.Place cut scones on baking tray . For soft-sided biscuits, place them close together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. For crisp-sided ones, place them 1 inch apart, these will not rise as high as biscuits that are baked close together. Brush the tops with some milk.

8.Bake at preheated oven at 200degC or 395 F for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Insert  a toothpick in the center of the biscuit and if it comes out clean, means the scone is ready. The texture of the interior should be light and soft. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.