Recipe: Breakfast Scones

Makes:  about 8 (depending on size)

Ingredients:

• 1000ml (4 cups) cake flour
• 2ml (half teaspoon) salt
• 30ml (3 heaped teaspoons) baking powder
• 80ml (4 tablespoons) margarine or butter
• 1 egg
• 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
• 125ml (half cup) water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 240ºC (460ºF)
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Rub in the margarine, handling as quickly and lightly as possible.
4. In a separate bowl beat egg together with buttermilk and water.
5. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients about half a cup at a time, mixing with hands or a wooden spoon. 
6. Do step 5 until all the liquid has been added or until a medium to firm dough is formed. 
7. If the dough becomes sticky then add flour until it is neither crumbling or sticking to your fingers.
8. Pat or roll (with a rolling pin) the dough on a floured surface and cut scones 3cm thick.  I use a drinking glass coated with flour instead of a cookie cutter.
9. Place on a greased baking sheet some distance apart (the scones rise) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
10. Take out of oven and allow to cool enough so they can be handled with your hands.
11. Cut in half, spread with butter and serve with jam and whipped cream or grated cheese.