Buttermilk Fruit Scones

Serves 9, Prep 20 mins, Cook 25 mins

3 cups self-raising flour, plus extra

for dusting 100g cold unsalted butter, chopped ½ cup sultanas ½ cup diced dried apricots ¼ cup caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1-1¼ cups buttermilk Plum jam and spreadable butter,

to serve

1 Grease base and sides of a 19cm square cake pan. Dust with extra flour to coat, shaking away excess. 2 Place the flour in a large bowl. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sultanas, apricots and sugar. 3 Make a well in the centre. Add egg and 1 cup of the buttermilk. Using a flat-bladed knife, stir until mixture just comes together, adding remaining ¼ cup buttermilk, if required. Dough should be sticky. 4 Turn out onto a clean bench, lightly dusted with extra flour. Very gently, knead to form a soft, smooth dough. Don’t over-knead. Pat dough into a 3cm-thick round with lightly floured hands. Using a 6½cm round cutter dipped in flour, cut out nine rounds, reshaping and cutting out rounds as necessary. Place rounds, touching side-byside, in prepared pan. 5 Cook in a hot oven (200C) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Transfer to a wire rack. Cover with a clean tea towel. Stand for 5 minutes. 6 Serve scones with jam and butter.