Freshly baked scones are easily one of the most delicious things on Earth. The warm centre, perfectly crisp yet soft outside with lashings of cream and strawberry jam make for a tasty trio.
Buttermilk scones are not complete without jam and cream.
Capsicum Culinary Studio – South Africa’s largest chef school – has tasked its chef lecturers to come up with delicious dishes and baking treats for the whole family to enjoy during the current lockdown.
Chef Charne Wylie from the school’s Pretoria campus shares her recipe for her Granny Lil’s buttermilk scones which, she says, are an absolute winner and always brings back memories of her childhood.
Wylie says she always serves the scones with strawberry jam and dollops of freshly whipped cream for that perfect teatime treat.
GRANNY LIL’S BUTTERMILK SCONES
(makes approx. 12)
Ingredients
4 cups flour
30ml baking powder
Pinch of salt
80g cold butter
50ml sugar
250ml buttermilk
1 beaten egg
125ml water
An extra egg for brushing on as a wash.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ᵒc degrees.
- Sift and mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Rub the cold, cubed butter into the flour mix. Add the sugar to the mixture.
- Mix the buttermilk, egg and water together and add to the butter/flour mixture.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently to form a dough. Do not overwork, the less you overwork the dough the better.
- Roll/gently press out to about 3cm thickness. Dip a cutter into some flour, then stamp out at least 10 to 12 scones. Do not twist the cutter when cutting. Place the cut outs on a greased baking tray close together. Brush with an egg wash for a wonderful golden colour.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
Image credit: Supplied
