Scones

PHOTOGRAPHY
Various
January 29, 2016

Scone (GONE), Scone (TONE) however you choose to pronounce it I think the one thing we can all agree on is that they’re one of our favourite treats with a rich history.

Let’s start with the name, as it does attract so much discussion! The word Scones comes from the Dutch word schoonbrot (which clears nothing about the pronunciation for up for us at all), which means beautiful bread, other people think the word comes from Stone of Destiny which is where the Kings of Scotland were crowned. A scone is a single serving cake or quick bread, scones are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal and are baked in sheet pans. Often they are lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed with egg wash. The original scone was round and flat, usually as large as a medium sized plate.

British scones are often lightly sweetened , but may also be savoury. They usually include raisins, currants, cheese or dates. The griddle scone is a variety of scone which is cooked on a griddle on the stove top rather than baked in the oven. Also other common varieties include the ‘dropped scone’ or ‘drop scone’ like a pancake, after this method the ‘lemonade scone’ was introduced which is exactly the same but using lemonade and cream instead of butter and milk. Theres also fruit scones which contain currants, sultanas , peel and place cherries which is just like a plain round scone with fruit mixed into the dough.

Want to treat yourself this weekend? Here’s a quick how to:

– Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

– Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.

– Stir in the sugar and then the milk to get a soft dough.

– Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.

– Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.

– Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and good jam and maybe some clotted cream.

Vanilla can cater an excellent Afternoon Tea spread including Scones, Cakes, Tea and Coffee. If you’re interested please don’t hesitate to speak to our lovely team via 01625 421 685 or email us on info@vanillainallseasons.co.uk

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