Scones

To be honest with you, British food is never the first thing that pops into my head when someone asks me what country has the best cuisine. Don't get me wrong - I would definitely appreciate a fine meal of Fish 'n' Chips or those petit sandwiches served in those fancy teahouses. But there are a few English eating habits that I (and I'm probably not alone on this one) may never get my head around. For example, that black pudding served at Christmas or the wobbly softness otherwise known as 'bread', not to mention haggis....But I guess every country has their own weird food habits, and I should not be pointing fingers. Just look at the German fascination for kraut, bread and sausages or the fact that Australians seem to want to BBQ all the time. Of course, this is exaggerated and I hope I'm not offending anyone. But you can always pick up a truth in these stereotypes.

So when I went to England a few years ago with my family, I wasn't really expecting anything mind-blowing when it came to food. Of course, I had my fair ratio of fish 'n' chips and British sweets, but I what really blew my mind were the scones. We ate them in Lake District for the first time in the loveliest, cozy Café beside a creek. They were served hot with several different jams and butter - and they were delicious! At that moment I realized three things:   1) I had just completely changed my mind about British food, 2) that I desperately wanted to swim in a pool with these, and 3) that I should probably track down the baker and steal his recipe!

As you may suppose, I did not end up tracking down the baker and stealing his recipe. Instead, I searched the depths of the internet, getting closer to the perfect scone one batch at a time. It honestly did take several attempts, but I ended up with a truly rewarding scone: crusty but fluffy, sweet but savory and filling but light. I hope you will find yourselves in scone heaven after tasting this delicious treat, so don't hesitate if you're playing with the idea of making another batch!

Ingredients:

- 375g all-purpose flour

- 112g white sugar

- 5tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 85g butter

- 1 egg, beaten

- 245ml milk

- 50g raisins or 2 handfuls

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Either lightly grease a baking sheet or a muffin tray.

2. Combine flor, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter.

3. Mix the egg and milk in a small bowl and fold into dry ingredients.

4. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface, add raisins and knead thoroughly. 

5. Roll dough out in a 1 cm thick roll and evenly cut into 12 wedges. Place these on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!