ARE YOU GOOD AT SCONES?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 520, 10 June 1949, Page 22

ARE YOU GOOD AT SCONES?

) HIS Scone Ball was started 1 rolling by a letter from a ) Link in the Daisy Chain at 'M arton, who wrote that she had been trying for years, and had ‘never once turned out a really | good scone, although she had tried dif- | ferent methods. She said her scones are | always rocky, and take 20 minutes to | half an hour to cook. "Do you make | a well in the centre and pour in all the | milk and work from centre outwards, or | do you pour in a little at a time?" asks | the Link. ) Most good scone makers handle the | dough as quickly and as lightly as pos- | sible, and, having a hot oven all .ready | (450 to 475 degrees or regulo 9 or 10), | pop them in on a cold oven tray near the top of the oven. Cook them in 8 to | 12 minutes, depending on thickness. In _modern ovens the whole batch cooks | evenly, but in a range it may be neces- | sary to turn the tray round about halfIt is not usual to put in all the | mixing-liquid at once. You don’t know | exactly how much you will need, being | guided by the "feel" of the dough, which | must be soft but neither sloppy nor too | dry. Generally you work it round with ) the hand and the basin is left fairly clean when you lift out the dough, The liquid i may be all milk, or milk and water, or sour milk, or egg and milk. If you use a rolling pin, don’t press hard, just roll out lightly, rather pushing the dough than rolling as for pastry. Then cut into squares or oblongs, or press into round shapes with a tin cutter of some kind. Arrange on a cold oven-tray lightly floured with the sifter, and pop immediately into the hot oven. Always work quickly and lightly with scones, If the dough is mixed too dry the scone will look very rough, if too wet they will spread. Be sure to mix the liquid right through evenly. Always wrap the scones in a tea-cloth immediately after cooking. Sour Milk Scones To make 8 good-sized scones, use 2 cups flour, 2 good teaspoons baking powder, sifted together with a pinch of salt, Mix with sour milk until a_ soft dough, neither sloppy nor dry. Turn on to floured board. Do not knead, just press into shape and cut into sections. Place on cold oven-tray, close together. A tiny dab of butter. popped on to each scone before putting the tray in the oven makes them extra nice! Egg, dried fruit, or grated cheese may be added to the mixture. Ngatea Scones One cup flour sifted with 1 good teaspoon cream of tartar baking powder and a pinch of salt, loz. butter or good shortening, loz, golden syrup. Rub butter and golden syrup into sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Mix to stiff dough with a little milk. Roll out and cut into squares. This makes 8 or 10 small scones. Bake 10 minutes in a hot oven. Plain Scones Two cups flour, 1 tablespoon butter, dripping or lard, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons cream of Carter (or

3 teaspoons of cream of tartar baking powder), 14 teaspoon salt and about 1 cup of milk and water to mix. Sift dry ingredients, rub in fat with tips of fingers and lightly mix with the liquid to a soft dough. Roll out lightly, cut into rounds or squares, brush over with milk to make a nice glazed top. Bake 7 to 10 Minutes in a quick oven. Variations using above mixture: Date scones -add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 cup chopped dates. Sultana scones-add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut and 1 cup sultanas. Cheese scones-add 1 cup grated cheese, a dash of cayenne pepper and 4a -little dry mustard, Special Te Awamutu Scones Two cups flour, 142 cup fine Vimax, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 dessertspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 egg, milk and water, salt to taste. Sift flour, baking powder, cornflour and salt 3 times, and put into mixing bowl. Put butter into mug to melt, then add egg, not beaten, and milk and water, making just a cup of liquid altogether, Stir this mixture well with a knife, then mix it into the dry ingredients to a nice dough. Bake on warmed greased slide 10 to 12 minutes in hot oven. Savoury Scones One heaped cup flour, loz. shortening, 14 teaspoon salt, 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder, 42 cup grated cheese, 1 egg (optional), and milk and water to mix. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, add cheese. Melt shortening in an enamelled cup, fill up with milk and water, and drop in the unbeaten egg. Mix to a dough, using a knife. Tip on to board and press flat. Cut into small scones and bake in a quick oven. Golden, Syrup Scones : Half a pound flour, pinch salt, 14 teaspoon baking soda, loz. butter, 2 dessertspoons golden syrup, sour milk to mix. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, make a hole in the centre, and add golden syrup with sufficient sour milk to make a soft dough. Turn 6n to floured board, pat out and cut into shapes.