Orange Raisin Scones
Or is it always tea time?! Hopefully we’ve all learnt a thing or two about slowing down and enjoying the moment from our time in lockdown. Even a thirty minute break from what we are doing, sitting alone or with someone special, over a cup of tea and plate of cookies promises that afternoon pick me up we all need. If only to give us hope in the days to come!
Jump to RecipeLast week, I was re-watching the film Bridesmaids on Netflix and thinking how the fate of Annie’s Cake Baby curiously resembled that of any food-related venture I’ve ever dreamed up. Optimistic, I know!
It also got me thinking about the first thing I ever “cooked”, and how my love of spending time in the kitchen has developed since then. It definitely started with baking, but it didn’t start where you might imagine – in a kitchen that is.
I recall my brother and I being allowed to work on our own birthday cakes when we were about six years old. Forget the aprons, we were dressed in bake-worthy swimwear. Armed with big mixing bowls and spatulas, we were banished to the balcony to cover ourselves and the plants in the anticipated cloud of flour. Fret not, the garden hose was never far. But oh how far we’ve come!
Baking independently only started in high school, trying new recipes and slowly making them my own. This was one of those recipes I would make with friends in the summers.
In just thirty minutes, you can have the house smelling like a full-blown bakery and yourself feeling like a master baker! The buttery, orangey scent is guaranteed to get everyone round the table for tea time and forget the worries of the world for just a moment. Only happy thoughts here!
Orange & Raisin Scones with Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Scones
- 285 g Plain Flour
- 1½ tbsp Baking Powder
- 60 g Caster Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 140 g Butter cut into one inch pieces
- Orange rind (from 1 large orange) more won't hurt
- 55 g Raisins
- 125 ml Buttermilk
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Heavy Cream cold, any whippable variant will work
- 1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Instructions
Scones
- Preheat oven to 200 deg C. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl, stir to combine evenly and then add the cold butter pieces to the dry ingredients.
- Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you get a coarse mixture resembling a crumble topping.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Set aside 2 tablespoons for glazing and add the rest into dough mixture. Mix well. Add the raisins and stir again until they are evenly distributed.
- Roll the dough out on a flat, clean surface until it is about 2cm thick.
- Use a 2.5 – 3 inch diameter cookie cutter or rim of a drinking glass to stamp out circles and place them on the prepared baking tray.
- Brush all the tops with the egg-buttermilk mixture you had set aside earlier.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until the tops turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm.
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- Whisk heavy cream, sugar and vanilla essence on high speed until medium peaks form and nearly doubled in volume. This will take a minute or two, try not to overbeat.
- Serve immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
