— INGREDIENTS —

THE SCONE DOUGH:

• 350 g self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85 g unsalted butter (cold, cut into small cubes)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 175 ml whole milk (warm, plus 1 tbsp extra for brushing)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• A pinch of salt

TO SERVE (THE CORNISH WAY):

• 1 jar of high-quality strawberry jam
• 1 tub of authentic Cornish clotted cream

— STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS —

STEP 1: PREPARE THE OVEN AND FLOUR

Heat your oven to 220°C (425°F) or 200°C if using a fan-assisted oven. Put a large baking sheet inside the oven so it gets hot. Sift the 350g of self-raising flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix them together.

STEP 2: RUB IN THE BUTTER

Add the 85g of cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Make sure you don’t leave any large lumps of butter. Stir in the 3 tbsp of caster sugar.

STEP 3: WARM THE MILK

Pour the 175ml of milk into a jug and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it is warm but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set it aside for a moment.

STEP 4: MAKE THE DOUGH

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the warm milk mixture. Use a cutlery knife to quickly combine the ingredients until a soft dough forms. It might seem a bit wet at first, but do not overmix it or the scones will become heavy and tough.

STEP 5: SHAPE AND CUT

Dust your kitchen counter generously with flour. Turn the dough out and dust the top with a bit more flour. Fold the dough over 2 or 3 times just until it comes together smoothly. Roll or pat the dough down with your hands until it is about 4 cm (1.5 inches) thick. Use a 5cm round cutter to stamp out scones. Do not twist the cutter when you press down, just lift it straight up, otherwise the scones will rise unevenly.

STEP 6: BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN

Carefully pull the hot baking sheet out of the oven and line it with parchment paper. Place the scones onto the hot sheet and brush the tops with a little bit of extra milk. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until they are tall, risen, and beautifully golden on top.

STEP 7: THE BRITISH TEA TIME

Let the scones cool down slightly on a wire rack. Serve them warm. Cut them in half and spread a generous layer of strawberry jam first, followed by a thick dollop of clotted cream on top!