02 December 2023 , 14:00
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Baking legend Mary Berry has shared her two secrets for making the perfect scones in just 10 minutes.
Scones are a British tradition and the main component of the celebrated cream tea. They can be enjoyed sweet, with jam and cream or savoury with added cheese but however you like to eat them, the scone base itself is the important factor.
Rather than risking a disappointing supermarket version, you can bake your own with confidence using iconic culinary legend Dame Mary Berry’s recipe from her Fast Cakes book.
The cream tea is a British tradition (Getty Images)She’s been teaching the nation how to cook since the 60’s when she was appointed cooking editor of Housewife magazine and has been on our TV screens ever since. So if anyone knows the secret to the perfect scone, it’s Mary.
She says the key is to not have the mixture too dry and don’t handle the dough too much. Her method here can be prepared in 12-15 minutes and cooked in 10. This version also serves 10 people, with one scone each.
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Here are the ingredients you need:
- 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50g (2 oz) butter
- 25g (1 oz) caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- Milk
Here's how to make the perfect scone:
Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7 and lightly grease a baking sheet. Add the flour and baking powder into a bowl with the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
Next, crack the egg into a measuring jug and lightly beat. Make up to 125ml (4 fl oz) by adding the milk. Stir most of the egg and milk into the flour, keeping 1 tablespoon in the jug to glaze the scones before baking and mix to a soft dough.
Lightly flour a surface and place the dough on it, kneading lightly. Then roll it out to 1.25cm (½ in) thickness. Cut into 10 rounds with a fluted 8cm (3 in) cutter.
Space out the scones on the baking sheet and brush the tops with a little milk. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until a pale golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and leave to cool on a wire rack.
If you want a golden scone version, Mary advises using light muscovado sugar instead of caster and adding 1 tablespoon of golden syrup to the milk and egg mixture. Beat this thoroughly to blend before adding to the flour mixture.
Will you try Mary's scone recipe? Let us know in the comments below.