Soured Milk Scones

If milk turns sour, it is excellent for adding to this scone recipe. Most of the other ingredients you may have in the store cupboard. Use fresh milk or buttermilk as an alternative. You can make scones in a food processor but they will be lighter made by hand as the flour does not get over worked. Scones need to be eaten on the day or frozen, as they don’t keep well. As the milk is cooked in this recipe, it is ok to use milk that smells or tastes sour. Do not use if it has separated or curdled.

By Caroline Marson

Cookery advisor All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients show imperial units

Makes 12 scones

300g plain flour
Flour

For pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles.
- Raising agents are added to plain flour to make self-raising flour, used to lighten and give an airy texture to cakes and sponges.
- Once opened reseal with quick clips or transfer to an airtight container or kilner jar. It will keep for up to 3-4 months
25g baking powder
100g chilled and diced butter

Butter

Unsalted is better for cooking.

Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
50g sultanas
Dried fruits

Sultanas, currents, and raisins are all dried grapes of different varieties.
- They are a healthy snack on their own or with nuts. They also work well for fruitcakes and Christmas pudding, biscuits and buns.
- When re-hydrated in water, tea or alcohol they can be added to mousses, fools and ice creams.
- Their natural sweetness works well with Indian and North African recipes.
- Keep the fruits fresher by resealing them with bag clips or transfer them to airtight containers.
200ml soured milk

Milk

organic, full fat, semi-skimmed.

If milk turns sour (and this when it smells or tastes sour not when it has reached the best before date) it is excellent for making scones
1 beaten egg
Eggs

Always have some on hand for quick scrambled egg.
- Keep eggs in the fridge in their box and never eat them after their use-by date.
- The Health Protection Agency recommends buying Lion branded eggs, which come from vaccinated hens and are therefore less likely to contain salmonella
100g sugar
Sugar and Syrups

Try having in stock caster sugar, muscavado, honey and golden syrup
- Once opened ensure they are tightly resealed with quick clips or bag clips.
- If you have got rock-hard brown sugar, crystallised honey/syrup, place in a suitable non-metallic bowl and give a quick blast of about 30 seconds on high in the microwave to bring these back to their normal state.
Serve with the Quick Strawberry Jam recipe and some clotted cream for some added Devonshire luxury!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) mark6. Sieve the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sultanas.
Pour the soured milk into a saucepan and warm it gently over a low heat. Remove the pan from the stove. Whisk in the egg and sugar and pour the milk into the flour, mixing it all together. Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it together to form a smooth ball.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle with a thickness of about 1.5cm. With a 6cm plain cutter, cut out 12 scones and place them upside down onto a floured baking sheet. Lightly dust the scones with some more flour, and then leave them to stand for a further 10 minutes before cooking. During this time the baking powder will begin to act like yeast does in bread.
Cook the scones in the preheated oven until golden brown; they will take about 12 minutes.

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