Marian Rutland came to Florida from England and while she was here, made scones for a Red Hat Tea I was hostessing. The recipe she used was the Traditional Rich Scones, but she made some changes that made them even better and made the recipe her own.

Marian brought her scone cutters from England. Scone cutter are available in three sizes. It is best to have a set of three on hand.

Marian's Fruit Scones

8 oz self-rising flour (2 c)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 oz oleo (3 T)
1 oz sugar (or less) (3 T)
2 oz sultanas (raisins) (1/4 c) Or use candied fruit, which is very good.
1 egg and milk to make about 1/4 pint liquid (1/2 c)

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl, rub in oleo.
2. Mix in the sugar and sultanas
3. Beat egg and milk together, add to flour (Save a little to brush scone tops) and make a soft dough.
4. Turn onto a floured surface, roll out of half-inch thickness (certainly no less) and cut into rounds with a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush over the tops with a little of the beaten egg and milk mixture.
6. Bake in the oven at 220 C (425 F) for about 10 minutes until just turning brown. Remove from the oven.

Cool and eat with butter and jam. (Ruth: Or eat them with clotted cream and jam or lemon curd.)

 

SAVORY SCONES

You can also make "savory" rather than "sweet" scones. They are great for lunches and teas. Marian makes the scones recipe without the fruit. Instead, she puts 2 oz grated cheddar cheese into the batter.

When they are baked, split them and top them with cream cheese and an olive, or salmon, or gherkins, or wherever your imagination takes you.

For h'ors d'oeuvres, use a small round cutter for appetizer-size scones.