When compiling the Royal Teas cookbook, Royal Chef Mark Flanagan chose recipes that are not only delicious and the perfect mix of wholesome and decadent, but also most importantly seasonable and with easily sourced ingredients. Although obtaining certain ingredients can be trickier in the current climate, we have chosen to share with you his simple recipe for scones – that tea-time classic behind the great dilemma: is it cream or jam first? Regardless of your stance we hope that you enjoy making and eating these indulgent scones as much as we do!

Ingredients

250g (1 7/8 cups) plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

45g (¼ cup) unrefined caster sugar

50g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 free-range egg

70ml (¼ cup) buttermilk

a pinch of salt

1 extra egg yolk and a pinch of salt for the egg wash

home-made jam and clotted cream

 

Equipment

5 cm / 2" plain round cutter

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF, gas mark 7).

Sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled diced butter and begin to gently rub into the dry ingredients using your fingertips. Once the butter has all been incorporated, gently add the buttermilk and egg into the dry ingredients until a soft, slightly sticky dough is achieved.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a lightly floured work surface. The dough must be handled carefully at this stage so that it isn’t overworked. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to an even thickness of 2 cm, ensuring that the dough comes off the work surface easily.

Dip the cutter into some flour before cutting out as many scones as you can, placing them evenly spaced on to a baking tray. If you invert the scones as you place them on the baking tray they will rise more evenly during baking. Brush the scones with the egg wash, being careful to brush only the tops and not the sides of the scones.

Place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Once baked remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.