While visiting Scotland and Northern Ireland, I found that the humble scone is quite the center of attention. Our simple jam-and-cream offering, with the occasional raisin thrown in, doesn’t quite cut it compared with the likes of treacle, cinnamon or cherry scones. This is a simple scone with a bit of a makeover: glazed with sticky honey and generously smothered in clotted cream and tart rhubarb compote.

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Ingredients

Makes about 9 scones

　　

Rhubarb compote:

200g (7 ounces) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into small pieces

　　50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

　　100ml (1/3 cup plus 5 tsp.) orange juice

　　

Honey scones:

300g (2 1/3 cups) self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting

　　75g (about 5 1/4 tbsp) cold butter, cubed

　　25g (2 tbsp.) granulated sugar

　　2 tbsp honey, plus extra for glazing

　　125ml (1/2 cup) whole milk

　　Clotted cream, to serve

　　

Special Equipment

6cm (2 1/3-inch) round pastry cutter

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

　　

Step 2

Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar and orange juice. Simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb pieces have completely broken down and the mixture is thick and sticky. Spoon into a small jar or ramekin and leave to cool.

　　

Step 3

To make the scones, place the flour in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter. Quickly rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

　　

Step 4

Pour the honey into the centre of the well, then gradually add the milk, stirring it into the mixture using a round-ended knife. A soft, rough dough will form. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead very briefly to smooth out the dough. Over-handling the dough will make your scones tough and flat, so knead as little as possible.

　　

Step 5

Gently roll the dough out to a thickness of around 3cm (1 inch). Cut into rounds using a 6cm (2 1/3-inch) pastry cutter, cutting straight down and not twisting, as twisting prevents the scones from rising properly. Very gently re-roll the remaining dough, taking care not to handle it too much, and punch out more scones—you should get 9 in total. Arrange the scones on the lined baking tray and brush the tops with a little extra honey.

　　

Step 6

Bake for 12–15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Serve warm from the oven, split in half, with big dollops of clotted cream and rhubarb compote.

　　From Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes © 2018 by Martha Collison. Published by HarperCollins Publishers.Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.