Bake your own 'Hedgehog Scones'

Just an hour ago, I tried at baking some scones.

It just felt like a scones type of afternoon – so I flipped through a few books to find an adequate recipe.

I was flipping through the Readers Digest 'Baking with love' which sounds like a very dopey sort of title...but all the recipes inside look so bakable!

I couldn't find the recipe for plain scones – had initially contemplated altering the recipe for some sweet scones they had...but I thought that if I took out the raisins...then what would take up that space? Some people can automatically take out ingredients and replace them, but I don't really want to take that gamble given my lack of experience!

I ended up referring to a cookbook I got for my 21^st birthday – AWW 'Old-fashioned Favourites'

Even before baking I had intended to halve the ingredients because I didn't feel that my family could finish 20 scones in a few days (scones taste best eaten fresh from the oven!).

But halfway through I forgot to halve the wet ingredients...I noticed when the mixture was very slushy... 'Hmm...why isn't it coming together?' I thought in my head.

Then I quickly mixed in some more SR flour...and melted more butter...in the end it came together. But as you can see in the photos – the scones resemble hedgehogs in some way (the flour didn't get incorporated enough).

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In the end, the texture was ok – I thought it would be more tough cos I had to manhandle it quite a bit! I need to figure out if scone mixture is really that tacky + sticky! It gave me 15 minutes of pure hell as I tried to unstick it with my fingers – only making it worse.

So for next time---

1. Try to get the proportion of ingred. Correct first go.

2. Use disposable gloves that are slightly wet (to prevent sticking).

3. Use muffin trays – they work WONDERS! Non stick n don't need to line them.

With note 3 – the shape of the scones aren't as natural as you would see them. But hmm. Got to weigh up what to compromise on...the shape or...? Easy cleaning afterwards? :P

Basic Scones (Makes 20)

4 cups (600g) SR flour

2 Tbs icing sugar

60g cold butter

1 cups milk

¾ cup water (aprx)

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1. Preheat oven to 220 deg celcius

2. Use muffin tins (non stick) or just a lined baking tray

3. Sift flour + sugar together. (Maybe a few times to incorporate more air)

4. Use fingertips to rub butter in (Do this quickly so that butter is well incorp + doesn't melt

5. Make a well in the flour mixture – pour in all the milk + most of the water (Check for consistency before adding the rest of the water)

   Use a knife to 'cut' the flour + wet ingredients. Texture should be sticky and soft.

6. Knead dough on a floured surface to ensure smoothness.

7. Press dough to 2cm thickness + use a 4.5cm round cutter to cut out as many as you can.

8. Gather scraps and roll out + repeat prev step.

9. Brush tops with extra milk (oops, forgot this step!) + pop them into muffin tins/place them on baking tray + place in oven.

10. Bake for 15 mins or until the tops appear a golden brown colour. (Use your nose too!)

Sourced from AWW 'Old fashioned Favourites'.

Here is a very nice 'dressed up' scone with cherry topping (didn't know where the jam was) + some whipped up cream!

Bon appetito!

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Bloggin off with stomach full o' scones

- kwana