Drop scones
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Serves:
6
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Yield:
24 drop scones
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Ready in:
30 mins
(10 mins
Prep
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20 mins
Cook)
Drop scones, also called Scotch pancakes, are easy and fun to make, and perfect for tea or even as a simple dessert. Served with creamy fromage frais and sweet, succulent berries, they are quite irresistible.
Ingredients
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125 g (4 1⁄2 oz) self-raising flour
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2 tsp caster sugar
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1 egg, beaten
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1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
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150 ml (5 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
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4 tsp sunflower oil
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To serve
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100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) blueberries
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1 tsp clear honey
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100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) raspberries
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200 g (7 oz) fromage frais
Preparation method
- Put the flour in a bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre, and add the egg, melted butter and a little of the milk. Gradually stir the flour into the liquids and add the remaining milk a little at a time, to make a fairly thick, smooth batter.
- Heat a large shallow dish in a low oven, then turn off the heat and line the dish with a tea towel (this is for keeping the cooked drop scones warm). Heat a griddle or large, heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat and grease it with 1 tsp of oil.
- Using a dessertspoon, pour the batter from the pointed end (rather than the side of the spoon) to make neat, round drop scones. Depending on the size of the griddle, you should be able to cook 4–6 scones at once, but make sure you leave enough space round them so you can turn them easily. Cook for about 2 minutes or until almost set and bubbles are breaking on the surface; the scones should be golden brown underneath.
- Using a palette knife, turn the scones over and cook for a further 1–2 minutes or until golden brown on the other side. Transfer to the prepared dish, wrap in the tea towel and keep warm while you cook the remaining scones. Grease the griddle lightly with 1 tsp oil before cooking each batch.
- Place the blueberries in a bowl and stir in the honey. Add the raspberries and lightly crush the fruit, leaving some berries whole. Serve the scones warm with the honeyed berries and the fromage frais.
Copyright
Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 2004
Each serving provides
Useful source of vitamin B12
Some more ideas
To make apple drop scones, stir 1 cored and finely diced dessert apple into the batter with a pinch of ground cloves. Serve the scones dusted with a little sifted icing sugar. * To make savoury Parmesan and herb drop scones, instead of caster sugar add 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives, 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano and 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the flour. Serve the drop scones topped with a little soft cheese and halved cherry tomatoes.
Plus points
Home-made drop scones contain less fat and sugar than bought scones, and serving them with fromage frais instead of butter keeps the total fat content low. * Milk is a good source of calcium, essential for healthy bones and teeth. It also supplies protein, and vitamins B2 and B12.