Scones should be pretty simple; they’re not the kind of bake that should come with a lot of stress. I really love having these for breakfast as they’re not too sweet with a gentle spice and the raisins just make them feel a little healthier. I already know there’ll be some of you who see the raisins and won’t be able to resist the urge to swap them for chocolate chips. Controversial opinion maybe, but I don’t think chocolate belongs in a scone. Sorry! The raisins just work, trust me.

RECIPE

makes : 8

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60g raisins

70ml hot, strong black tea

300g plain flour

40g light brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp salt

90g unsalted butter, cold and diced

160ml milk

1 egg

4 tsp demerara sugar

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METHOD

1. Add the raisins to a small bowl and pour over the tea. Let it sit for at least an half an hour or up to overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/190C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

3. Add the flour, sugar, salt and spices to a bowl and mix to combine. Add in the cubed butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

4. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Use a table knife to stir it together until it starts to clump and come together. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it briefly to incorporate everything. Use your hands to flatten it out a little, about ½ an inch thick. Drain the raisins and place half of them on top of the dough. Fold the dough over on itself and place the rest of the raisins on top. Gently knead the dough again for a couple of seconds until the raisins feel incorporated. The dough might feel a little messy and rough but thats fine! Dust with a little more flour if it start to stick to the worktop.

5. Pat the dough into a round disk, approximately 1.5-2cm thick. Slice into 8 wedges. Place each wedge on the lined baking tray, leaving a little space between them as they’ll spread.

6. Brush the tops with a little egg wash and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the scones are well browned on top. Let them cool a little before serving warm with salted butter.

If I’m having them during the week for breakfast, I’ll just reheat in the oven for a few minutes until warmed through.