Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
50g slightly salted butter, chilled, cut in small pieces
25g golden caster sugar
100g glacé cherries, chopped (optional)
125ml buttermilk
4 tbsp full-fat milk
a little extra flour for dusting
strawberry jam and clotted cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking sheet (unless you’re using a non-stick sheet). Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Add the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it’s a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar before adding the cherries. Mix well.

2. Measure the buttermilk, then mix in the milk to slacken it. Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a round-bladed knife, then pour in most of this buttermilk mixture, holding a little bit back in case it’s not needed. Using the knife, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough. Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk. Don’t overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.

3. Lift the ball of soft dough out of the bowl and put it on to a very lightly floured surface. Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.

4. Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour – this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand – don’t twist it.You will hear the dough give a big sigh as the cutter goes in. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.

5. Place on the baking sheet and sift over a light dusting of flour or glaze if you wish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, uncovered if you prefer crisp tops, or covered loosely with a cloth for soft ones.

6. Serve with jam and a generous mound of clotted cream (Cornish people put cream first, then jam, Devonians the other way round). Eat them as fresh as you can – or pop them in the freezer once cooled.

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Our building work is in full swing now so there isn’t really much cooking or baking going on at the moment. The work only started on Wednesday, and I’m missing it already! So it’s a good job that I have been saving up a few foodie posts to use whilst it’s all happening. I made this delicious buttermilk cake a long time ago now – it’s really easy to make and is great for any occasion. I had never used buttermilk before making this, but it makes the cake really moist. Yum! 

This recipe comes from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Ingredients (for a 23 x 13cm loaf tin)

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature

330g caster sugar

3 eggs

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

120ml buttermilk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.

2. Put the butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy (you can always use a handheld electric mixer or good old elbow grease and a wooden spoon to do this if you prefer!). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a spatula after each addition.

3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a separate bowl. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half the buttermilk. Mix well and then repeat the process, finishing with the flour.

4. Stir in the vanilla extract and then mix well until everything is combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth over with a palette knife.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bunches back when touched. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with a cuppa!

Post updated 17th February 2020.

The post Buttermilk cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.