Brown Sugar Scones

• 500g self-raising flour
• 40g light brown sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• 170g unsalted butter, cubed and refrigerated
• 1 large egg
• 250ml whole milk

Egg wash

• 1 egg lightly beaten with 25ml double cream or milk
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar

One baking tray, lined

1. If making by hand, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and pass it through your fingertips lightly, thumbs across fingers, to make breadcrumbs — the aim here is to coat the flour in butter, not rub it in, so keep the fingers light and fast. This may take 5 minutes minutes or so. Alternatively, you can use a food processor for this first stage.
2. In a small jug, whisk together the egg and milk, then pour it into the bowl and mix with a spoon or fork. The mixture will be quite sticky, so lightly dust it with flour and shape it into a ball. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C fan assisted/ gas mark 8.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and gently press it out on a lightly floured surface to a 3cm thickness. Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter and place on your prepared baking tray, leaving a little room for expansion. Brush the tops with a thin layer of egg wash, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browning.
5. Remove and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

VARIATION: Add 40g dried fruit soaked in stout and spices to this recipe for extra flavour. Method: Put the fruit into a bowl, cover with stout (or Guinness will do) and add a star anise and a cinnamon stick. Leave to soak for 2 days, then remove the spices and add to the dough at step 2.

Recipe taken from Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth