High Tea Scones

625ml flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

125ml cold butter

250ml buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix the dry ingredients together. Then cut in the cold butter (just like making pastry). Then mix in the yogurt and egg. I find at this point I usually need to add a little more flour so that it is not too sticky. Turn onto the counter and knead 10 times. Shape into scones. They can be whatever size you like, but I usually role the dough so it is a little more than an inch thick and then cut out circles with the top of a glass. Then you can also brush the tops lightly with a beaten egg for the proper shiny scone look. But it's not necessary. Or you can dip the tops in sugar to make them sparkle.

Bake at 225 C for 12-15 minutes or until they edges turn golden brown and a knife comes out clean. It can be hard to tell when they are done- so sometimes I split one open.

Serve warm with butter and jam. Or ideally with Devonshire cream- but you might have to go to Devonshire to find some. =)

You can also add fruit before baking. Eg. blueberries or cranberries. And cheesey scones are also delicious. Just omit the sugar and replace it with 250ml of shredded cheese and a big pinch of cayenne pepper.