Of course you can put what you like on your scones, but I'll usually opt for a traditional cream tea of jam and clotted cream. Cream tea etiquette is fiercely disputed in the West Country. The Cornish put strawberry jam on their scones first, then the clotted cream; in Devon and Dorset, it is customary to do it the other way around. Personally, I prefer raspberry jam and I always put jam on first, even though I live on the Devon-Dorset border.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 8

　　2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10.6 ounces/300g) all-purpose white flour, plus extra for dusting

　　2 teaspoons (0.28 ounce/8g) baking powder

　　A good pinch of salt

　　1/3 cup (2.6 ounces/75g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (neither fridge-cold nor soft), cut into cubes

　　3 1/2 tablespoons (1.8 ounces/50g) superfine sugar

　　1 medium free-range egg

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1/2 cup heavy cream

　　A little milk, for brushing

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a food processor if you have one, whiz together the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and sugar until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. (Otherwise, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl, rub in the butter with your fingers, then stir in the sugar.)

　　

Step 2

In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, vanilla, and cream, then add to the flour mixture and bring together with your hands to form a soft dough.

　　

Step 3

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly, for 10 seconds or so, to make it a little smoother. Now, using a little more flour, pat or gently roll out to a thickness of about 1 1/2 inches.

　　

Step 4

Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter (or a larger one, if you like), cut out about 8 disks of dough – pressing the cutter straight down, rather than twisting it, as this gives the scones a better chance of rising straight up.

　　

Step 5

Lay the disks on a lightly greased baking sheet, brush the tops with milk, and bake for about 15 minutes, or a little longer if the scones are large. To check that they are cooked, insert a wooden toothpick into the middle; it should come out clean.

　　

Step 6

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then serve warm.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 580.0 calories

　　390.0 calories from fat

　　44.0g total fat

　　27.0g saturated fat

　　125.0mg cholesterol

　　1020.0mg sodium

　　42.0g total carbs

　　1.0g dietary fiber

　　1.0g sugars

　　6.0g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　The River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stevens.As well as baking fresh bread every day in the River Cottage headquarter kitchens, Daniel Stevens leads the ever-popular Build and Bake courses, which equip students with the skills to build their own outdoor wood-fired oven. Daniel has been cooking and baking in professional kitchens for several years, both in Hertfordshire, where he grew up, and more recently in Dorset, where he now lives. He has been part of the River Cottage headquarters kitchen team since 2006.