Crumbliest Scones – Jamie Oliver

If you are feeling adventurous make your own fruit jam to go with your scones. Just put 2 cups of your choice of fresh or frozen fruit in a sauce pan with ½ cup or a little more of water, ½ cup to ¾ cup of sugar (taste it, it is your choice how sweet), a little squeeze of lemon juice…just drops. Cook this on top of the stove on medium heat until the fruit is thick like jam. Stir occasionally. Check on it so the jam does not burn. Maybe ½ to 1 hour. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, put into a jam jar and serve with your warm scones and tea.

I did not follow Jamie’s recipe directly. My changes are in Red. I did follow the measurements however so they would rise properly, I just wanted different flavors. Lemon and Orange.

“Scones are wonderfully British, delicious, and so simple even a five-year old could make them. There is a magic hour just after they come out of the oven when they are so heavenly, I just can’t imagine why anyone would prefer store-bought scones. Just remember that the less you touch the dough, the shorter and crumblier your scones will be. Get baking.” - Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

• I used ¾ cup chopped tart dried cherries
• I split the dough in half. One half I added the zest of 1 lemon and the juice from ½ of the lemon. To the other half I added the zest of 1 orange and the juice from ½ of the orange. I always use organic and wash the fruit well before zesting. I did not do Jamie’s method.
• Jamie’s Fruit Method: 2/3 cup dried fruit: Sour cherries, raisins, sultanas, chopped sour apricots, blueberries, or a mixture. Splash of orange juice for soaking.
• You will add either of these methods later.
• 2 sticks cold, unsalted butter chopped into squares.
• 4 cups of self-rising flour (I bet you could try flour alternatives and, in this recipe, it would turn out. You could try it!) – plus a little extra for dusting if needed.
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 heaping teaspoons caster sugarr
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 4 tablespoons milk, I used lite coconut milk, almond, oat milk is ok too. A little extra for brushing the top of the scones before cooking.

First and foremost, brilliant scones are about having the confidence to do as little as possible, so do what I say and they will be really great; and the second and third time you make them you will get the dough into a solid mass even quicker and even better.

Method:

1. Put your butter, flour, baking powder, sugar and a good pinch of sea salt into a mixing bowl. Use your thumbs and forefingers to break up the butter and rub it into the flour so your get little cornflake-sized pieces. Don’t over mix. Add: I used ¾ cup of chopped tart dried cherries, mix.
2. Make a well in the middle of the dough, add the eggs and milk. Gently mix it up with a spatula. Add a splash of milk if needed. You don’t want a wet dough. At this point I split the dough in half. To one half I added the zest from 1 lemon and the lemon juice from ½ of the lemon. To the other half I added the zest of 1 orange and the orange juice from ½ the orange.
   
   Jamie’s Fruit Method: 2/3 cup dried fruit: Sour cherries, raisins, sultanas, chopped sour apricots, blueberries, or a mixture. Splash of orange juice for soaking. Drain the juice before adding the fruit to the dough.
   
   Move the dough around as little as possible to get it looking like a scruffy mass – at this point you are done. You may have some flour that is not incorporated that is ok. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and pop it in the frig for 20 minutes.
3. Very, Lightly, knead the dough just until it is all incorporated. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 2 to 3 cm thick. Cut your shapes: round cutter, cut them into squares, or triangles. For triangles, just shape the dough round like a dish plate and cut with a long knife, first in half the in quarters and on and on for the size you want your scones. Place your shapes upside down on a baking sheet - they will rise better – so they say. Lightly brush the top with milk OR butter both make a crispy crust. Don’t miss this step, I prefer milk.
4. Bake for 12 to 25 minutes or until a lite golden brown. At this point take them out of the oven and remove them from the baking sheet, place them to cool on a rack. If you don’t have a cooling rack just use one of your oven racks!!!
5. Optional: Once they are cooled, drizzle very little glaze over them. I would choose either glaze or jam.

Lemon Glaze: ½ cup powdered sugar, zest from ½ lemon, juice from a ¼ lemon. Mix very well until sugar is completely dissolved.

Orange Glaze: ½ cup powdered sugar, zest from ½ orange, juice from a ¼ orange. Mix very well until sugar is completely dissolved.

Be sure you use organic citrus and wash the fruit before zesting.

Optional: Jersey clotted cream, good quality jam or lemon curd to serve. This is classic however I just don’t think they need the extra butter.

These are also wonderful savory. Try: Rosemary, basil, Italian seasonings, cumin, cardamom.

Tip: If you don’t want to bake a whole batch, freeze the scones after you have cut them out. That way another day you can just pop the little frozen scones into the oven and cook as above – just lite golden and lovely. ***Freeze them on a baking tray, once frozen you may place them in a plastic bag they won’t stick together and remove them individually when needed. Freeze them in a single layer in the plastic bag or separate the layers with plastic wrap or wax paper for multiple layers.