Blake Makes

After Blake and I graduated from college we took a trip around the U.K., and spent a few days in Edinburgh, Scotland. While wandering around the city, we popped into a cookbook shop that contained an unusually large amount of Two-Fat Ladies paraphernalia (Remember them?– the two English fat ladies who drowned everything in butter and lard and then took a spin on their vintage motorbike). We found out we were in Clarissa Dickson Wright’s shop (the one in the sidecar), and we had the privilege to meet her.

It was interesting to say the least– she told us of her swimming adventures in the North Sea (she got caught in a riptide) and informed us of a handy way to get out of quicksand (still not sure why she told us this, but I had a feeling she once had an unfortunate quicksand experience). We then bought some cookbooks, had them autographed, and walked her to her unbelievably tiny Saab.

We bought our Two Fat Ladies cookbooks back in 2003, but I’d never used them until just recently. I looked for a recipe that did not use a tub of Crisco, and decided to make scones because they were so very English.

They turned out surprisingly well for a self-proclaimed non-baker. I made plain scones so I could use the strawberry-chocolate spread that we picked up at the Farmer’s Market, but you can also fill them with fruit or make them savory. Blake finished off all the scones for breakfast the morning I made them, so I’d say they were pretty good.

Recipe courtesy of Two Fat Ladies Gastronomic Adventures (With Motorbike and Sidecar)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• small pinch of salt
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk, fresh or sour

Directions:

• Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it all resembles crumbs. Mix in the milk. Form a soft dough with a palette knife. Knead lightly on a floured board, then pat out into a round 3/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a cutter or small cup.
• Place on a greased and floured baking tray and brush with milk. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 7-10 minutes until well risen and brown. Cool on a rack but eat when still warm, with lots of butter, clotted cream and jam.

Variations:

• Sweet scones: add 1/4 cup caster sugar to dry ingredients.
• Fruit scones: add 1/4 cup dried fruit and 2 TB caster sugar.
• Savory scones: Add 6 TB finely grated hard cheese and 1 tsp dry mustard or 1/4 cup chopped olives or what you fancy.