Tips for Parents

This recipe has become a household favourite. The original recipe uses sour cream, but I found it as delicious with non fat vanilla yogourt. Try it both ways, and decide which one you like more.

Scones
(Inspired by the Harlem Tea Room Scones)

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
125 gr. cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups low fat or non fat vanilla yogourt

For egg wash: 1 egg, 1 Tblsp cold water, a pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. 

Sift flour, baking soda and cream of tartar into a bowl. Add sugar and salt and mix well. Add cold butter and rub it into the flour mixture until small pea size lumps of butter are coated with flour. Don't make the butter pieces too small as the bigger they are the flakier your scones will be (as previously mentioned, pea size lumps create the best results). Add the yogourt to the bowl. At first start mixing with a spatula (as it can get very sticky - I don't mind but some people do). Then knead the dough by hand until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not over knead!!! Dust your working surface and the dough with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to the height of your cookie cutter (about 2 1/2 cm). Dip the cookie cutter into flour and cut out circles as close to one another as possible. You will have left over dough,  but you don't want to over knead it. So, my suggestion is to pick up the pieces and gently bring them together, while trying not to knead too much. Roll out the dough again to the height of the cookie cutter and repeat the above process. Once all the dough is shaped into circles, place scones on the tray, brush with egg wash and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. You may have to rotate the tray. Scones are ready when they are golden brown and the sides are firm to the touch. Take scones out of the oven and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with strawberry jam, cream and fresh berries.

Tips:

* When placing scones on the tray, place them close to each other as this will help the scones rise rather than fall to the sides. Also, place them in rows in alternate positions. Doing so will allow hot air to circulate around the scones and not just at the sides and the baking will be more even. 

** When serving scones, do not cut with a knife as it works best when you break it into half by hand.   

Enjoy!!!