Scones, jam, and cream: the ultimate Steam Revival treat

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Dive into the delicious world of traditional recipes at the Steam Revival. Photo by Jaci Hicken

At this weekend’s Steam Revival, there are many options of old-fashioned tucker for you to dine on.

Scones made by Kerry Hutchison and her team, served by the Lockington Pony Club, are a staple of any country event, and the first place you will be lining up to grab a bite to eat when visiting the Steam Revival.

Thought to have originated in Scotland in the 1500s, everyone and every country has a different recipe and way they make their scones.

When making scones, some people like to use the rub in butter method, some people like to make no-fault scones using lemonade and cream and there are even people who go to a little more expense and make scones with buttermilk.

Traditionally made by rubbing a fat, such as butter, suet, or lard, into flour, it is the fat that gives the scones their crispness.

The modern invention of baking powder and self-raising flour helped to bring about the fluffy, buttery scone we all love to pick up at any country fair.

If you can’t attend the Steam Revival, here’s a scone recipe for you to make at home.

Ingredients

2 cups of self-raising flour

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

¾ of a cup of buttermilk

2 tbsp milk.

Method

  1. Heat your oven to 220℃. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Using a palette knife, gently mix in buttermilk to form a dough. At this point you may want to get your hands into the mixture to pull the mixture together into a dough.
  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured bench and knead to make the dough smooth. This should only take a minute or two.
  5. Roll the dough out to 1.5cm thick. Using a scone cutter, cut out scones. You should get 5 or 6 scones. You can put back together any scraps of dough, lightly re-knead and then re-roll and cut out extra scones.
  6. Place scones on a baking tray. Brush the top of each scone with a little milk.
  7. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

There is only one thing you should serve on scones, jam and cream, but which goes first?