HOT SCONES, PLEASE!

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 419, 4 July 1947, Page 22

HOT SCONES, PLEASE!

always been most popular with New Zealanders. We like them for breakfast; and simply love them for morning tea; we serve them at luncheon, afternoon tea, and at supper. We make them round, or square, or oblong, little and dainty for, parties, and big and hearty for families; at harvesting and shearing time, the housewife makes them almost by the hundredweight, and corisiders them indispensable. There are many varieties, plain and fancy. They have held their own against the bid for favour made by gems and pikelets. In fact, scones and sponges are really characteristic of New Zealand. But there is a knack in making a good scone, and it isn’t everyone who has it. Here is what a Te Awamutu Link in the Daisy Chain says:The First Essential "A hot oven is the first essentialabout 475deg. to 500deg. Having made scones since I was 10 years old-(I am now 68)-I feel. I can help the young marrieds, although they have every easy way to bake. I baked for years in a camp oven! I use many scone recipes, but mix them only the one way-the way my mother taught me-whatever the recipe says. I always melt the butter (now "shortening")-then fill up the cup with liquid, and drop in one egg, unbeaten, and mix into the dry ingredients very quickly. I find speed to get them in the hot oven after mixing is THE SECRET of success. Also, although I know few .do this, I always put my scones close together-in fact, TOUCHING. Ih this way they rise more quickly. I never use cutters, just a knife, and if I want round scones, I form them with my hands." especially hot, have An American Way The Te Awamutu Link goes on to say: "An American nurse gave me a recipe exactly the same as my own plain ‘scone mixture, using baking powder instead of baking soda and cream of tartar, BUT the rising agent was dissolved nm milk and water, and stirred in while effervescing. These scones were quite good, but I like my own way best; and I just pass on this Yankee method in case anyone else would like to try it." The Americans do make many delicious and varied kinds of hot "biscuits" as they call scones, as well as fancy breads and rolls. Plain Scones Two cups of flour; 1 tablespoon of butter, dripping, or lard; 1 teaspoon of baking soda; 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar; 1% teaspoon of salt; and milk and water to mix-about 1 cup. Sift the dry ingredients, rub in the fat, and lightly mix with the liquid to a soft dough. ‘Roll out, lightly cut in either rounds or’ squares with a cutter of a knife. Brush over with milk (optional). Bake from 7 to 10 minutes in a quick oven, 475deg. to 500deg. The time for baking depends on the thickness of the scones.

This plain scone recipe is very reliable indeed. I have used it for years, and it never fails. Using the plain scone mixture, the addition of the following will make:For Date Scones-add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 cup of chopped dates, For Sultana Scones-add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut, and 1 cup of sultanas, For Cheese Scones--add cayenne pepper, k cup of grated cheese, and a = dry mustard. Pu ny Pumpkin Scones’ Beat 1 good tablespoon of butter with 12 cup of sugar, and 1 well-beaten egg, then 1 cup of well-mashed dry pumpkin. A wet pumpkin is not successful. Then add 2% cups of flour sifted with 144 teaspoons of soda and 3 flat teaspoons. of .cream of tartar. Mix wit "A lukewarm milk to the usual scone co. | sistency. Bake in a hot oven. If cut into rounds, they look very attractive, and are a pretty colour.