FOOLPROOF BUTTERMILK SCONES

“This recipe is foolproof. I make these scones with my eight-year-old niece, Samaara, all the time,” Liezie says. MAKES 9 PREPARATION: 15 MIN BAKING: 16 MIN 375g (750ml, 3c) cake flour 50g (60ml, ¼c) white sugar 15g (22ml, 1½T) baking powder 6g (5ml,1t) salt 200g (250ml,1c) ice-cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg 1 egg yolk 300g (310ml, 1¼c) buttermilk 1 whisked egg (for wash) cream and strawberry jam Preheat the oven to 220°C. 1 Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Pulse once or twice to combine. 2 Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and process until it looks like fine crumbs. 3 Whisk the egg, extra yolk and buttermilk together in a separate bowl. 4 Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix by hand just until the dough comes together in a soft ball. Don’t overmix. 5 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather all the bits together and gently knead a few times until it comes together in a cohesive ball. 6 Press it with your fingertips into an 18 cm square of dough, about 3cm thick, then cut into 9 even-size squares with a sharp chef’s knife. 7 Put the scones slightly apart on a baking tray lined with a silicone sheet or baking paper, and brush the tops with egg wash, using a pastry brush. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then brush again with egg wash. 8 Bake for 16 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly before serving. 9 Serve with cream and jam.