The Easiest Scones in the World !

Thanks for chiming in, Sue ! So much for posting a simple little recipe with three ingredients ! I didn't realise all three were internationally variable - my apologies to anyone who's tried this recipe and not been able to make it work.

I think the biggie is the cream - I didn't realise there was so much difference in what we all call "cream". As I said above, our pouring cream (not the thickened stuff) is 35% fat. If you're using "cream" with much less fat, that will make a big difference - it will be like using less butter in the recipe. Our "normal" cream is what we use for whipping, it pours out with a paint-like consistency.

I've made the scones with plain flour and baking powder as well, and they've worked fine. I'll go back and edit the original recipe to include the fat content of the cream.

Thanks again, Sue !

But Peter, I've got Nigella's baking cookbook in front of me, and ALL her recipes talk about 1 cup of flour, or 3/4 cup sugar etc. ?

I think this review on Amazon.co.uk by 'Caroline in London' of Nigella's "How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking" contains the answer

This book is everything is claims to be - I love Nigella Lawson's recipes. But be careful there are several versions of this book - the US copy has all measurements in American cups. Its very annoying. I was given the US version for Christmas and then couldn't get it exchanged (it was out of the 30 days exchange policy - a good reason for last minute Christmas shopping!!) So check with Amazon that you get the English copy otherwise your muffins might be in danger - I think the Hyperion version is the US one, but I'm not sure....

Wow...great thread Celia! I have learned so much from everyone's research!

I make scones quite often...the regular ones where you cut in the butter. I haven't tried this version yet but am curious to do so. I have found that our self-rising flour has salt in it. I wondered if Bisquik would work in these as well (it has levening, salt and also some oil). I also wondered if self-rising flour Australia doesn't have salt, does the recipe rely on the sodium in the lemonade (Sprite)?

I also wasn't aware that most of our creams contained ingredients other than cream . I have been struggling to find any cream, light or otherwise, that doesn't have cargeenan in it. How annoying! Glad you pointed this for me Stuart...I would have never thought to read the ingredients on cream.

Hopefully, I will make this recipe in the next few days and let you know how it comes out Celia.

I think the biggie is the cream - I didn't realise there was so much difference in what we all call "cream". As I said above, our pouring cream (not the thickened stuff) is 35% fat. If you're using "cream" with much less fat, that will make a big difference - it will be like using less butter in the recipe. Our "normal" cream is what we use for whipping, it pours out with a paint-like consistency.

I've made the scones with plain flour and baking powder as well, and they've worked fine. I'll go back and edit the original recipe to include the fat content of the cream.

Thanks again, Sue !

I checked three brands here to find one had a fat content of 35%, one a fat content of 38% and one a fat content of 40%. I wonder why it varies. Different breed of cow, perhaps.

The way to fatten up 'lighter' cream is to add some melted butter to it (real butter, not some manufactured substitute), but I wouldn't want to guess at how much.

Cheers,
Sue

Wow...great thread Celia! I have learned so much from everyone's research!

I make scones quite often...the regular ones where you cut in the butter. I haven't tried this version yet but am curious to do so. I have found that our self-rising flour has salt in it. I wondered if Bisquik would work in these as well (it has levening, salt and also some oil). I also wondered if self-rising flour Australia doesn't have salt, does the recipe rely on the sodium in the lemonade (Sprite)?

I also wasn't aware that most of our creams contained ingredients other than cream . I have been struggling to find any cream, light or otherwise, that doesn't have cargeenan in it. How annoying! Glad you pointed this for me Stuart...I would have never thought to read the ingredients on cream.

Hopefully, I will make this recipe in the next few days and let you know how it comes out Celia.

Thanks Maria ! And thanks for not being put off by how this "simple" recipe became so complicated ! Our SR flour has flour and raising agent, no salt, which might be why Ines' scones were so salty ? And I was also thinking that if your "normal" cream has much less fat than ours, then that might explain why everyone's dough is so wet - because your cream is more milky/liquid than ours ?

Ok Celia...I made the scones and they came out pretty good. The dough wasn't too wet at all...it was the same consistancy as my scone mixture. I used heavy cream and mixed that into the flour w/ levening first (Thanks for posting the propotions for the self-rising flour). I got the kinda coarse meal consistency and then added the Sprite. I baked them at 375 degrees for 20 min and they came out nice. The texture was good...however, they were definitely a bit bland. I would make them again, but next time I would use the US self-rising flour since it does have salt, and I do think they needed some salt. They weren't too bad if served with salted butter, but definitely too bland for clotted cream. They were definitely easier than my normal scones.

Thanks for posting this recipe and for making all the conversions. It's a good recipe to have on hand if you need scones in a pinch (which I do sometimes) and I learned a lot about all the different ingredients.

Peter May - I was wondering if you would post your scone recipe as well?

Thanks so much for trying this, Maria !

Celia

Peter May - I was wondering if you would post your scone recipe as well?

Hi Maria

I've been making them for so long I don't remember the amount of fat & milk - I put about a pound of flour in a mixing bowls and then just add as much as necessary, but originally I used Delia Smiths recipe so I've dug out the measurements used there

Ingredients

1 pound self-raising flour (roughly 3 x 250ml cups)
3 oz Flora margarine or butter*
1/2 pint milk
handful sultanas
pinch salt
pinch mixed spices or nutmeg (optional)

(* The Flora 'Make your man a Flora man' implying giving ones husband butter an instant coronanry was a great hit in my house with 50% of the adults and that is the only spread allowed and thus I use that. )

Add a pinch salt to the flour (and pinch spices if wanted). Cut the fat into the flour and rub in to breadcrumb consistency.

Add a generous handfull of sultanas, separate any stuck together, and mix through.

Add enough milk to get a dough.

Give it a little knead and roll out on a floured board to about 3/4 inch thick. (if mix is too wet it will take up the flour)

Cut into circles with serrated cutter.

Place on greased baking tray.

Cook in a preheated oven at 220C for 20 minutes till firm on top when pressed.

Split open, butter and jam and eat while hot.

Will freeze well, defrost and warm before eating)


(notes
- when rubbing in lift the flour high and let it fallback to get in the air and lighten the scone
- cook books say not to knead the dough but I found that the leftovers after cutting the rounds that you bring together and roll out again always made higher scones so I always knead now.
- mixed spices are used in making Christmas cakes - its not hot but an aromatic mix of nutmeg cinnamon & etc
- I don't add sugar, the sultanas add sweetness and anyway I'm going to eat the scone with jams which are sweet
- sultanas are a soft dried white seedless grape. If you use currents with pips in them the scone with have hard bits in it.
- the serrated edge seems to help the scones rise, giving the attarctive cracks around them
- I don't add salt in cooking, scones and bread are the only exception as they don't taste right without a small pinch.

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