10 Delicious Way With Scones

BASIC SCONES

Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins | Makes 8

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tbsp icing sugar

Pinch of salt 60 g butter, chilled, chopped

¾ cup cream

2 tbsps milk

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1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Grease and line a 30 cm x 20 cm (base measurement) slice pan with baking paper. Sift flour, icing sugar and salt into a large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter to make coarse crumbs.

2. Make a well at centre. Add cream, using a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion, mix to form a soft dough.

3. Turn out onto a clean cold work surface, briefly knead. Pat out to a 2 cm-thick disc. Using a floured 6 cm round cookie cutter, cut 8 scones from dough. Place scones, side by side, in prepared pan.

4. Brush tops of scones with milk. Bake for 10 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped. 

TOP TIPS For a crusty scone exterior, cool on a wire rack. If you prefer a softer edge, wrap scones in a clean tea towel, then cool on a wire rack. 

CRANBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES

Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins | Makes 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

¼ cup white chocolate chips, plus ¼ cup extra, melted

1⁄3 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones as recipe directs, adding white chocolate and cranberries.

2. Drizzle cooled scones with extra melted chocolate to serve. 

LEMON TEA SCONES

Prep 25 mins | Cook 10 mins | Makes 16

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

2 tsps finely grated lemon zest

1 1⁄2 cups icing sugar

2 tbsps lemon juice

2 tbsps milk

Yellow, pink and green food colouring

Coloured candy decorations, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones to end of step 2, adding the zest and using a 6-cm round cookie cutter.

2. Whisk icing sugar, juice and milk into a bowl until smooth. Divide icing into 3 portions; tint yellow, pink and green. Spread 1 tsp of icing over each cooled scone. Top with decorations; stand for 10 mins for icing to set. 

LAMINGTON SCONES

Prep 25 mins + 10 mins to stand | Cook 10 mins | Makes 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1 cup icing sugar

2 tbsps cocoa powder, sifted

20 g butter, at room temperature

¼ cup boiling water ½ cup strawberry jam

½ cup moist coconut flakes

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones as recipe directs.

2. Whisk icing sugar, cocoa powder, butter and the boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Split cooled scones. Sandwich scones with jam. Drizzle with chocolate mixture, sprinkle with coconut. Stand for 10 mins for icing to set.

MALTED CARAMEL SCONES

Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins | Makes 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

2 tbsps malted milk powder (like Ovaltine)

½ cup cream, plus 2⁄3 cup extra whipped

¼ cup caramel sauce

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Make Basic Scones, adding malted milk powder and extra ½ cup cream.

2. Fold caramel sauce through whipped cream until just combined. Split scones. Sandwich together with caramel cream. 

CHERRY & ORANGE SCONES

Prep 20 mins | Cook 10 mins | Makes 9

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

½ orange, finely chopped

½ cup frozen cherries, thawed, juice reserved, chopped

2 tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice

1⁄3 cup icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones as recipe directs, adding zest, chopped orange and cherries at end of Step 2.

2. Turn out onto a clean cold work surface, briefly knead. Pat out to a 2-cm thick disc. Using a large knife, cut disc into 9 triangles. Place triangles in prepared pan. Bake for 10 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped.

3. Place reserved juice from cherries and orange juice in a small bowl. Add icing sugar, mix until smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled scones. 

VICTORIA SCONE CAKE

Prep 20 mins + Cooling | Cook 15 mins | Serves 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

1 1⁄2 tbsps icing sugar, plus extra to dust

¾ cup thickened cream, whipped

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Grease and line base and sides of a 20-cm (base measurement) round cake pan with baking paper. Make Basic Scones to end of Step 2.

2. Turn onto a clean cold work surface, briefly knead. Pat out to a 1 cm-thick disc. Using a floured 5-cm round cookie cutter, cut scones from dough. Place scones, side by side, pressing together, to cover base of prepared pan.

3. Bake for 12 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. Combine raspberries and icing sugar in a small bowl. Split each scone in half. Place base of each scone on a serving plate. Spread with cream. Top with raspberry mixture. Top with scone tops. Serve dusted with icing sugar. 

APPLE & SPICE SCONES

Prep 20 mins | Cook 15 mins | Makes 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1⁄3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

1 red-skinned apple, grated, plus 1 extra, sliced

1 tsp allspice 2 tbsps honey, warmed

Vanilla custard, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones as recipe directs, reducing self-raising flour to 1 2⁄3 cups, adding almond meal, grated apple and allspice at end of Step 3.

2. Top each scone with a slice of apple, brush with honey. Bake scones for 12 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped. Serve with custard. 

ORANGE & SWEET POTATO SCONES

Prep 20 mins | Cook 25 mins | Makes 10

200 g orange sweet potato, chopped

¼ cup maple-flavored syrup, plus 1 tbsp extra

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1. Cook orange sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 mins or until tender. Drain; return to pan. Mash until almost smooth. Add maple-flavored syrup; mix well.

2. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Prepare Basic Scones as recipe directs, adding mashed sweet potato at the end of Step 3.

3. Bake scones for 12 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped. Brush hot scones with extra maple-flavored syrup. 

ZUCCHINI & FETTA SCONES

Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Makes 7

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

100 g fetta cheese, crumbled, plus 100 g extra

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sunflower seeds (pepitas)

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20-cm round cake pan with baking paper. Make Basic Scones to end of Step 2, omitting sugar and adding the zucchini and fetta.

2. Press dough into prepared pan. Using a large knife, mark 7 equal wedges on top of dough. Brush with oil. Top with extra fetta and sunfl ower seeds. Bake for 15 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped 

CHEESE & BACON SCONE PULL-APART

Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Serves 8

1 quantity Basic Scones (first recipe)

¾ cup grated pizza cheese, plus ¾ cup extra

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 rashes streaky bacon, rind removed, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 C fan-forced. Make Basic Scones to end of Step 2, omitting the sugar and adding the pizza cheese and onion.

2. Turn out onto a clean cold work surface, briefly knead. Press dough into a 15-cm square, about 2-cm thick. Place in prepared pan. Using a large knife, mark 16 squares on top of dough. Brush with the milk, top with bacon and extra cheese.

3. Bake for 15 mins or until scones sound hollow when lightly tapped. 

PHOTOS: PABLO MARTIN/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU