With three kids all looking for treats, this comes in quite useful far too often 
Fruit scones:
Ingredients : (All measures are approximate)
- 3 Cups (approx 700g) Plain flour
- 1/3 Cup (approx 75g) Caster sugar
- 250ml (1/2 pint) Buttermilk
- 2 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 170g – 200g Butter / Margarine
- 225g (generous cup) Dried Mixed fruit / sultanas etc
Utensils:
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups / spoons / jugs
- Baking tray
- Dough cutter or highball glass
- Sieve
- Ideally – pastry / egg-wash brush
Method :
- Preheat the oven to approx 180c
- Sieve Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Baking soda into a large bowl
- Mix gently by hand
- Dice up the butter/marge and drop into the flour
- Rub in the butter until the entire mix has a breadcrumb like consistency
- (Use your fingertips and thumbs to rub the flour and butter together, take your time !)
- Add in the fruit and mix by hand to ensure no clumps remain
- Form a well and add in most (not quite all, leave a dribble) of the buttermilk
- Use one hand to turn the bowl, and the second in a ‘claw’ shape to mix the dough to a consistent texture
- (Keep the bowl turning in one direction only, and mix gently with the clawed hand)
- (If the mix is too dry, try adding a bit more buttermilk, if it’s too wet, add more flour, you’ll know !)
- Once the dough has a good texture, spread some flour on a work-surface and lift it out of the bowl onto the floured surface
- Knead lightly for about 5 mins, and flatten to approx 1″ (2cm) thick
- Scatter flour lightly and evenly on the baking tray
- Dip your dough-cutter / glass rim into flour (to at least the depth of the dough) and cut out your scones, re-flouring cutter and re-kneading the dough into a usable shape as necessary.
- Place cut scones onto floured baking tray
- Brush small amount of buttermilk onto tops of scones (helps ‘em brown nicely)
- Optionally sieve some caster-sugar on top
- Place in oven to bake for 15 – 20 mins depending on the oven (they’re done before they burn, but after they stop being “squishy”)
- Turn out onto a wire rack to cool
- Enjoy !