Scones

Dried fruit in scones. An easy Afternoon Tea treat.

Dipping scones in oatmeal, seeds or in specialist flour gives a crunchy coating.

The simplest way with scones is to find a very basic simple recipe and vary from day to day by adding different fruit.

I usually whip two or three eggs with about a tablespoon of honey or sugar to start. Different sugar gives different flavour. I no longer use milk, but a dash cream or mascarpone cheese gives a richer dough. This can be stirred into the egg mixture

Anybody using butter or margarine (about 1 or 2 oz) will get a very light texture if they grate it into the flour and avoid touching the dough. 12 oz of flour is a good proportion for the egg mix I describe. Self raising flour can be mixed with rye or wholemeal flour. (Proportions 10 oz self raising to 2 oz of a more robust flour.) This week's choice has been to add 2 oz brown rice flour as the weather is so cold. Semolina, as used in Middle Eastern confectionary, is a very good choice for children as it it nuitritious.

Mix everything together. Add raisins or any preferred dried fruit. Dip spoonfuls of the mixture into sunflower seeds, muesli or any grated nuts that one likes (if nuts are a safe option). Place on a preheated metal tray. If no coating is used on the scones, grease the tray with oil.

Bake in a very hot (preheated) oven for about 7 minutes and then reduce the heat to medium. This is a moment of personal choice, as starting the scones off in a medium oven can give a different texture. Experimentation is part of the fun. Keep an eye on the cooking process, as this varies with humidity in the air.

Another possibility is to start the scones off by frying quickly on both sides on a pan or griddle coated in olive (or any) oil.