Sultana and Apple Scones with Lemon Curd

 Let's bake a batch of Apple and Sultana scones:

Ingredients:

100g sultanas (soaked in Earl Grey tea overnight,) drained

1 sweet apple, grated

300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (in addition to quantity used if making your own Self Raising Flour 

125 ml (1/2 cup) double cream or thickened cream

125 ml (1/2 cup) lemonade

Milk for brushing

1 quantity of Lemon curd ( see link to my Microwave Lemon curd recipe below, or purchase it)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220 deg. C. 

Dust a baking tray with flour.

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl to form a soft dough. I like to add the sifted flour and baking powder first, then mix through the apple and sultanas to coat them in flour, and then add the rest of the wet ingredients. I think this makes for a better result with scones.

The dough in your bowl will need little work with it. I didn't knead it at all. Scones generally only require light kneading at the very most, or they won't rise, and you lose that light, fluffy texture.

Flour your hands. Tip the scone dough onto your floured bench or pastry sheet. Just pat it out lightly with floured hands until it is 3 cm thick.

Using a 5cm round scone cutter, mine is slightly larger, no need to stress over this, cut out 10 scones and place on a baking tray that has been lightly dusted with flour. Place them close together on the baking tray to assist the rising process.

Brush each scone with a little milk and dust with flour.

Bake for 12 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Serve the scones warm, spread with lemon curd.

This recipe is based on one from one of my favourite recipe books, The Lord Howe Island Cookbook. Mr. HRK and I were at Pine Trees Lodge on the Island for Food and Wine Week, as a 40th wedding anniversary celebration.  It was fabulous. Delicious food and lovely wines for a whole week. I even rode a bicycle around the island without falling off, that's the main means of travel, besides walking. This recipe books was a free gift as part of the package.

Warm wishes,

Pauline