Makes: 8
This is a cracking recipe for scones, which uses sour cherries as well as the more usual raisins. The cherries work fantastically well with the jam and clotted cream but feel free to substitute them with dried cranberries or any dried fruit you like. Don’t forget that just-baked scones freeze really well, so if you have any unexpected visitors, you can always put some straight in the oven from the freezer as a quick and delicious treat.
Sour cherry scones
Ingredients
- 55g sour cherries and raisins (or dried cranberries and raisins)
- orange juice
- 225g self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 5ml baking powder
- 55g butter
- 1 large free-range or organic egg
- 30ml milk, plus a little extra
- clotted cream, to serve
- good-quality jam, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Soak the cherries or dried cranberries and raisins in just enough orange juice to cover.
While the fruit is soaking, pulse the flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor until they start to look like breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Drain your cherries and raisins.
In another bowl, beat the egg and milk with a fork, add a good pinch of salt and the fruit and pour into the well. Stir the flour into the egg and milk mixture, adding a little more milk if needed, until you have a soft, dry dough.
Roll out the dough on a lightly dusted surface until it’s about 2,5cm thick. With an 8cm round cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out circles from the dough and place them upside down on a baking sheet – they will rise better that way.
Brush the top of each scone with the extra milk and bake in the oven until risen and brown, for 15 minutes. Take them out of the oven and leave the scones to cool down a little.
Cut your scones in half. Spoon a dollop of clotted cream and a dollop of jam on each bottom half and put the top back on. Serve on a large plate in the middle of the table, or on individual plates – and don’t forget the tea!
