Hurrah! It’s a warm Saturday, so I hop on the train to Bath Spa to steam and soak in the thermal waters which gives me the mighty appetite. A proper English tea with scones and cream is in order. The Pump Room in the old Roman Baths is the place to go.
Obviously very touristy, but who cares! The scones were fresh and warm from the oven, the jam was fruity and rich, but most importantly the clotted cream was the west country’s very best and utterly decadent. Rich smooth, creamy, but never buttery. I scoffed down 2 big scones which I washed down with lashings of the Pump house tea blend, which was bright and coppery. Deliciously sinful and a perfect day! Scones are dead easy to make so I have a fine recipe for you too. I can only say, buy the best quality jam and clotted cream you can get though, as it aint worth it otherwise.
ALL TIME BEST SCONE RECIPE
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g baking powder
- 50 g white sugar
- 0.8 g salt
- 70 g unsalted butter
- 70 g dried currants or raisins
- 120 ml milk
- 60 g sour cream
- 1 egg
- 15 ml milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the currants. Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Overworking the dough results in terrible scones!
- With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want. Place onto a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly. Let the scones barely touch each other. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown, not deep brown. Break each scone apart, or slice in half. Serve with the best clotted cream you can find and a selection of rich berry jams. I dont do plain.
