Scones

Hi guys! 


I originally was going to try and use as many different authors as possible and I promise I will eventually, but as I've been getting to know Donna Hay's recipes only recently I am pretty tempted to try a few of her recipes. I've been buying two of her books last week. The first one is "A cook's guide" and the second "fast, fresh, simple". Both are really great to look at as the all of the recipes in "fast, fresh, simple" come with beautiful pictures that makeup i want to start cooking right away. So for now there are going to be quite a few recipes from Donna Hay on this blog. 


I am always trying to find recipes from the books that are available on her website, because I feel like there's not much of a point in talking about recipes that are hidden in some pricey cookbooks. 


This being said and explained, here's today's recipe: Basic Scones. You can find the recipe on Donna's website following this link:


http://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/sweets/cakes/date-and-orange-scones 
The link is for a recipe for date and orange scones, but the basic dough is almost the same (the recipe on the book calls for 250ml of milk instead of 350ml and adds 2 teaspoons baking powder), so if you spare the dates and orange rind, you'll end up with basic scones. 


This is how mine turned out: 

My experience has been thoroughly positive. It took about 20 minutes to make the dough and cut the scones. I used little rounds of 6cm that are normally used to help arrange food on a plate and it worked really well. The book says the yield will be 12, I ended up with 14 regular (6cm rounds, 2cm thick) and a smaller scone as I didn't want to throw the remaining dough. Again, it's only a few easy steps to wonderful fluffy scones. 


1) Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl 
2) Cut the butter into small pieces ( I opted for thin strips) as it's easier to combine and mix into the flour mixture using only your fingertips. It won't look anything like dough at this point. 
3) Form a well in the centre and pour the milk in. Use a knife to stir the milk in the batter, while trying not to form lumps. 
4) Dust your work surface with a bit of flour and knead the dough until it's just combined. 
5) Roll the dough and cut it into pieces as directed.


My result: the recipe instructions have been pretty easy to follow and I was definitely glad Donna is offering tips and tricks as she says in the book that it's crucial to treat your dough as softly as possible for getting best results. The scones were done in 18 minutes, some of them didn't turn as brown as others, though. I love to eat mine with a bit of cream cheese and jam, but they're just as great for dipping in coffee, tea or a hot chocolate.


Have fun trying and please let me know how your efforts are turning out!