Victoria Scones

Ingredients

• 250 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 50 g Caster Sugar
• 50 g Block Margarine or Butter (cold; cubed)
• 100 ml Milk
• 1 Free-range Egg (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
• 8 Glacé Cherries (halved)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 200°c (180°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 6 or 400°F) and grease a large baking sheet - or a couple of smaller ones - with a little excess butter/margarine. Set aside.

2. 2

   Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, holding the sieve up to allow some air into them. Using the tips of your fingers, rub in the margarine/butter, again lifting as you do to allow air in. Continue until you have a sandy consistency.

3. 3

   Stir through the sugar, before making a well in the middle of your dry ingredients. Mix your milk and beaten egg together, before adding to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, gently bring the ingredients together to form a soft, sticky dough.

4. 4

   Turn out onto a well-floured work surface and gently knead together, before dividing into 4. Roll each quarter into a ball, and then gently flatten into a circle (about couple of centimetres thick).

5. 5

   Transfer your circles to your prepared baking sheet(s), leaving a little bit of space between each. Let your scones rest for 5-10 minutes.

6. 6

   Using a sharp knife, score a cross onto the top of each scone circle. Brush a little [excess] beaten egg onto the top of each scored scone, before placing half a glace cherry into each triangle of your scored scones.

7. 7

   Bake in your preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until your Victoria Scones have risen and are a beautiful golden colour.

8. 8

   Once cool enough to touch, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy whilst still warm.