Recipes for the Busy Family: Buttermilk Scones (plus variants)

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease and flour a 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan.
Place flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre. Add buttermilk. Using a flat-bladed knife, stir until dough almost comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface.
Knead gently until dough comes together. Press out to a 3cm-thick round. Dip a 5cm round cutter into flour to prevent dough sticking. Cut out scones. Gently press leftover dough pieces together and repeat to make a total 16 scones.
Place scones, touching, in prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden and hollow when tapped on top. Serve with jam and cream.

Nutrition data is per scone.

Variations:
Spiced date scones: Add 1/3 cup finely chopped dried dates and 1 teaspoon mixed spice at the end of step 2. Basil and parmesan scones: Add 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese at the end of step 2. Bacon and chive scones: Cook 4 chopped shortcut bacon rashers. Add at end of step 2 with 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 220C. Sift flour with sugar and 1/4 tsp salt into a large bowl. Add butter and, using your fingertips, rub into flour mixture until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg until combined, then pour into flour mixture. Using a knife, stir until mixture just comes together; the less you work the mixture, the lighter the scones will be.
Turn out dough onto a well-floured work surface and, using your hands, pat until 2.5cm thick. To cut out rounds, using a 5cm pastry cutter dusted with flour, press cutter straight down and pull straight up without twisting. Repeat to make 12 rounds, re-flouring cutter each time you cut. Place scones 3cm apart on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and bake on top shelf of the oven for 12 minutes or until risen and dark golden.
Meanwhile, to make honey cream, combine honey and cream in a bowl. Add mascarpone and whisk to soft peaks.
Serve scones warm with honey cream, and strawberry and apple conserve.

Strawberry & apple conserve: Combine 1 peeled, finely chopped green apple, 2 x 250g punnets strawberries, halved, 330g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and 1 lemon, juiced. stand for 2 hours. Place mixture in a pan over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. Cool. Transfer to a sterilised jar. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Adjust an oven shelf to sit in the top third of the oven, then preheat to 220°C. Sift flour, sugar and 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl. Using fi ngertips, rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk egg and buttermilk in a small jug, then pour over mixture. Using a dinner knife, mix wet ingredients into dry until they come together. For light-textured scones, it is important not to overwork the mixture.
Turn mixture on to a well-floured surface and, using your hands, form it into a 2-2.5cm high round. Using a 5cm floured cutter, cut out rounds, pressing cutter straight down into dough and pulling it straight up without twisting. Reflour each time. Place scones 3cm apart on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Brush tops with a little extra buttermilk, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
For honey cream, combine honey and cream in a bowl. Place mascarpone in a bowl, gradually whisk in honey mixture, then whisk until soft peaks form. Serve warm scones with cream and conserve.