Spread these Fluffy Buttermilk Raisin Scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam for the best English cream tea.
Contents
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups (450g) self-raising flour (if you can’t find self-raising flour, then replace with all-purpose flour plus 2 level tablespoons of baking powder and an extra ¼ tsp salt), plus extra for dusting
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7 tbsp cold butter diced
- ½ cup minus 1 tbsp (85g) golden caster sugar
- ¾ cup 150g raisins
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp (285ml) buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- splash of milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400f/200c and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the flour, salt and butter into a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and raisins and give it a quick mix.
- Break the egg into a small bowl, give it a quick whisk with a fork and then pour it into the flour mixture – reserving 1 tbsp of it for glazing the scones later.
- Add in the ¾ of the buttermilk and the vanilla extract and use a round ended knife to work the mixture together. Add the rest of the buttermilk and work in gently until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don’t overwork, or you’ll get tough scones.
- Tip out the dough onto a floured surface and flatten it out with your hands so that it’s about 1” (2.5cm) thick. Use a round cutter (mine was 3” (8cm) in diameter) dipped in flour (to prevent it sticking) and cut out your scones. Make sure you just press the cutter down rather than twist it – otherwise you’ll get scones that rise a bit wonky. Gather the leftover dough, gently rework and cut out the rest of the scones until all the dough is used.
- Place onto the prepared baking tray. Mix the reserved tbsp of egg with the splash of milk and brush the tops only (brushing the sides will impair the rising of the scones) with this mix and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, leave to cool and serve sliced in half with clotted cream and jam/jelly.