Anne Willan

Currant Scones

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes

    6-8

    scones

Appears in

top 1000La Varenne Pratique

La Varenne Pratique

By Anne Willan

Published 1989

Scones may be baked in the oven or on a griddle. They are best served still warm, split to spread with butter, or cream and jam.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups/250 g flour
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup/60 g shortening
  • 2 tbsp/30 g currants
  • ¾ cup/175 ml buttermilk and 1 tsp cream of tartar or ¾ cup/175 ml fresh milk and 2 tsp cream of tartar (more liquid if needed)
  • 2 ½ in/6 cm pastry cutter

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C and grease and flour a baking sheet. Sift the flour into a bowl with the sugar, baking soda and salt. With your fingers or two knives, work in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants and make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir the cream of tartar into the buttermilk or milk and add to the well. Stir lightly, just until the dough clings together. It should be soft and sticky, so add more liquid if necessary.
  2. On a floured board knead the dough lightly for 1 minute. Pat it to 1 in/2.5 cm thickness. Stamp out rounds with a pastry cutter (above). Transfer the rounds to the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

© 1989 Anne Willan. All rights reserved.