Crunchy Orange Butter Scones
The trick to these sweet white scones is to make sure that the butter is really chilled so that it breaks and crumbles into the flour to give the scones their extra-special light texture.
SERVES
10
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
450g plain white flour
25g caster sugar
1 ½ heaped teaspoons (30g) baking powde
pinch of salt
75g butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
2 small eggs
225ml full-fat milk (approx.)
*egg wash
40g crunchy demerara sugar (preferred) or coarse granulated sugar (approx.) for the tops of the scones
To serve
orange butter (see recipe)
sprigs of fresh mint to garnish
Orange Butter recipe
75g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1½ tsp finely grated orange rind (I like to use organic oranges when available)
100g icing sugar, sieved
Cream the butter with the finely grated orange rind. Add the sieved icing sugar and beat until fluffy.
Method
Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas Mark 9.
Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a large, wide bowl. Toss the chilled butter cubes in the flour and rub them in by hand until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre. Whisk the eggs with the milk, then add to the dry ingredients in one go and mix to a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop. Don’t knead, but shape just enough to make a round. Roll out to about 2½ cm thick and cut or stamp into scones
Try to stamp them out with as little waste as possible, as the first scones will be lighter than the second rolling.
Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash then dip each one in crunchy Demerara sugar.
Put the scones on two baking trays – no need to grease. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve split in half with orange butter or pipe a rosette of orange butter on top. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.
Egg Wash: Whisk one egg thoroughly with about a dessertspoon of milk. This is brushed over the scones to help them brown in the oven
Practical Tip: Scone mixture may be weighed up ahead – even the day before. Butter may be rubbed in but do not add the raising agent and liquid until just before serving.
