Let's have afternoon tea.

I didn't cook last night as I went to the pub with my friend for a meal, but no fear, I always have a reserve.  The recipe I'm posting today, I don't actually have a picture for, mainly because I've not made them since I started up this blog but they are very tasty and look beautiful.  Next time I make them, I'll take a picture.

So instead, here is a picture of a not so healthy version of afternoon tea.  God that was good.  I guess you can tell, I've already eaten half of it before I thought to capture the moment...


I love English scones.  They remind me of my Nan.  She would make up a batch when I was round for dinner, still warm with a dollop of hand whipped cream & home made jam.  They were wobbly, crumbly & uneven but they were the best.  Much better than the ones you can buy at supermarkets that are stuffed with additives and preservatives.  Scones only need 7 ingredients tops, supermarket versions always seem to have a list longer than that.

So make your own, that's my saying.  Nothing beats a crumbly, fresh out of the oven Scone.  It kicks "straight out of the packet scones" butt on a level of tastiness.

These make around 16 scones depending on the size your going for.  Don't let the wholemeal put you off, these babies are gorgeous when straight out of the oven.

You will need:
230g Plain wholemeal Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
40g Brown soft sugar.
55g vegetable oil spread (you can use full fat butter too, both work really well)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
150ml Semi Skimmed milk

Optional Extras for dough:
tablespoon chopped dates
teaspoon of sultanas.


TO MAKE THE SCONES

Preheat your oven to gas mark 6 (200°C).

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar & baking power.  Add the butter and rub in with a spatula or you fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Next if you are adding the optional extra, dump them in and mix around.

Add the milk and slowly mix to make a firm dough.  Using floured hands, place on a floured work top, pat into a circle about 2cm thick and cut your scone shapes out.  Depending on the size of cutter you're using, you can make between 6-16 scones.

On a baking tray, lie some baking parchment down (I stick mine down with oil) and place your scones on the top.  Brush the top with a little milk and pop into the oven for 12-15 minutes until the tops are browned and they have risen.

Pull out of the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes before topping with any of these fillings:


Optional Filling 1 - You will need:
250g butter
Teaspoon of honey
500g Icing sugar

Mix the 3 ingredients together until smooth, place in the middle of the scones once baked.

Optional filling 2 - You will need:
500ml Whipping cream
Vanilla essence
2 Tablespoons Ground almonds

On a fast setting, whip the cream until almost doubled in size, add the ground almonds and continue to whisk, stir in the vanilla essence.

Optional Filling 3 - You will need:
500ml natural yoghurt
3 teaspoons honey
vanilla essence

Mix all three ingredient together and spread onto the scones.

Optional Filling 4 - You will need:
A bag of frozen fruits
sachet of jelly crystals

Boil the fruits on the hob for about 45 minutes, add in the jelly crystals, stir in until combined and then serve.

Or you could just go with the traditional Clotted cream & Jam!  They also taste really nice with a slathering of honey mixed with dates.

Serve with a cup of tea & a smile.