Egg-less Scones

My first success at baking as a teenager, was scones. I baked it for all occasions & everyone enjoyed them, then, & still do today. I love the fact that it is so quick to make, so delicious & may be served very simply or dressed with cream & strawberries. This is simply delicious.

As a child, I remember eating triangular scones with a dusting of toasted coconut on the top, fresh from the bakery. We used to slice these, butter them & enjoy them with tea. The recipe that I use now is adapted from a recipe given to me by Ms. Philimon, in Durban, South Africa.

Using cream on scones makes it a really special dessert, but I often have a pang of guilt about using cream. An article by health experts say that using cream that you whip, has an advantage to other creams like those in cans. Please refer to this Article about Whipping Cream

However I prefer not to sweeten the cream as there are usually other toppings like jam, or honey or syrup that are sweet enough. So do enjoy the whipped topping, one of my favorites.

October, 2012-If you have been using this recipe for a while, you will notice an addition to the ingredients-maizena/cornflour. A tablespoon of maizena to a cupful of flour, helps to make really soft scones. Please let me know if you find a difference.

Here is the recipe for plain scones


INGREDIENTS

  1. 2 cups all purpose flour
  2. ½ tsp. bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
  3. 3tsps/15 ml. baking powder. If using self raising flour omit this
  4. 1 tblsp. maizena/cornflour
  5. 1/3 cup sugar
  6. 5 tblsp. butter
  7. 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  8. ¼ teaspoon salt

METHOD

  1. Sift numbers 1-4. Rub in butter until the flour resembles fine breadcrumbs
  2. Add sugar (adjust amount to your taste)
  3. Add yogurt,(not all at once, the amount depends on the consistency of yogurt)
  4. Mix to a smooth dough. Ideally it should not stick to fingers. If it does, add small amounts of Maizena/Cornflour until the dough is smooth
  5. Use a cutter or shape small balls with hand. Flatten tops gently. Bake in hot oven, 450 ° F. for about 10-12 minutes
  6. It should be a light golden brown. Remove tray from oven and cover with a clean cloth or paper towel. This helps to keep the scones soft.
  7. When cool to the touch, slice scones and serve with butter, or cheese or strawberries & cream
scones

A batch of fresh scones

Optional Cream Topping

  1. 1 cup whipping cream (optional)
  2. 1 cup washed, chopped strawberries or just use strawberry jam
  3. Please note that this step is optional. I only use this step when entertaining

Scones bake very quickly in about 10-12 minutes. For the topping, I prefer to use whipping cream also called fresh cream rather than the creams in cans. Use a food processor or beat by hand till you get a thick consistency. Do not over beat as you will get butter. The strawberries should be washed & sliced before using as a topping, or just use strawberry jam.

Those on special diets should substitute the sugar & butter with ingredients that comply with a particular health condition. I call this recipe plain scones because it is the simplest version. Scones can be made with wholewheat flour, blueberries, grains, nuts, fruits, raisins & a host of ingredients. All simply delicious.

If you have questions email me, Nirmala, at email address.
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