Scones

It's not JUST the ingredients - it's HOW you prepare the mix that makes all the difference between a scone and a fantastic scone!

Golden rules to adhere to before you start thinking about the ingredients!

• Always rub the fat into the flour to breadcrumb stage BEFORE you add the sugar.

• If you use an electric mixer, be very careful when adding the wet ingredients - turn the speed to low and just gently mix in the milk etc  - don't walk away and leave it, just watch carefully and turn the power off AS SOON AS it's coming together.

• Turn the mix out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it into a soft ball - gently does it....

• NEVER use a rolling pin! That just squashes all the air out of the mix, so just pat it flat with your hand.

• Cut the scones with a cutter. TIP:  the depth should be just a wee bit lower than the depth of the cutter.

• Put the scones on the top shelf of a HOT oven (220c) for about 10 minutes. Then, turn down the temperature and perhaps move them to a lower shelf - you know how best your oven works- my oven burns everything if it's on the top shelf too long :-(