HOW; TO MAKE SCOTCH, SCONES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 237, 30 June 1908, Page 5

HOW ; TO MAKE SCOTCH, SCONES.

In Scotland no tea table is complete without its plat-6 of scones, and in country districts, whero bread : is not always easy to obtain,/ the. housewifewill, bake her daily supply of these as regularly as sho will make the;morning dish of.porridge. The following are! a few'simple recipes for tlioso'who have riot lived f ;iu Scotland, and aro not familiar; withij the different' varieties so well known, in tho land o' cakes. To bake scones roally successfully, it is well to provide one'Bolf with a "girdle" (a circular iron plate with a handle across it). An iron frying-pan, however; will answer the purpose, provided it is not worn thin in places, -which would cause the scones to burn. The.. cooking or '.'firing'? is the most difficult part in sconemaking,. but practico makes perfect. The girdle must be placed over a moderate fire; and not allowed to become , too j hot, otjier-.' wise the scones will cook .-too quickly on the outside'and remain raw and heavy in the middle,; but it must be hot enough to make the scones riso nicely and cook slowly. 'When ready they, should be light and puffy, and thoroughly cooked. 'Soda Scones.—One pound of flour, one small teaspoonful carbonato . of. soda, ono small teaspoonful cream of tartar, ono teaspoonful finq salt, about, half-pint buttermilk. Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix/well, taking care ,to rub all the lamps out of the soda.; A'dd enough but-ter-milk to make'/a light ; dough, "turn this out on ,to a floured pastry-board, and knead very quickly. ,and lightly .till .'smooth; - the less the dough is handled the better. Press out lightly with the rolling-pill to a .round cake about Jin. thick, and eiit crosswiso in four. Have the'girdle hot, flour it lightly, and place the scones upon it; cook for ten minutes, then turn them, and cook tho other side.

• Dropped Scones.—Take .five heaped tablespoonfuls of flour three dessertspoonfuls-'of castor sugar, one tedspoonful-baking powder, half teaspoonful' carbonate of soda, a small pinch of salt, one egg, and enough - sweetmilk to. make a thick hatter. : Mix the dry. ingredients together,* add- the egg (well beaten); lastly the milk, and beat all for a few minutes. Have the girdle hot, and grease ..slightly-with butter, drop-on to it the batter, a, tablespoonful at a time, until the girdle is full.' When the scones are brown underneath, and covered with bubbles on-the; top, , turn quickly with a large knife, and brown the other side. These sccnes may be buttered while hot and served, or'they are equally good when cold and' eaten with jam or -jelly..

, For afternoon tea, the following little scones will bo found very, nice:— Jane's - Scones.—Two', breakfast cups of flour, one tablespoon of .butter, one tablespoonful fine sugar,v three-quarters of teaspoonful carbonate of-soda, quarter teaspoonful of tartaric acid, one egg, a little raid water. Rub the butter lightly into tho flour, add the sugar, soda, and acid; mis all woll together, beat the ! egg, and add a little of the water to it; uso this to make a soft dough :.of - the ingredients in tho basin. Divide.the dough into three pieces, roll each piece out into a largo, round scono and divide each of these into six or eight small ones; put them on to a hot girdle, and bake for about five minutes over a moderate fire.

Plain Scones.— Tako -Jib. of flour, one teaspoonful baking a pinch of salt, a piece of butter about the, sizo of a walnut. Rub the butter thoroughly into the flour; add the- other ingredients, and mix to a light dough with a little milk. Turn the dough on to a floured board, and knead lightly,, gathering up the dough from the sides into the middle. Press into a round soone, about Jin. thick, and with a knife make a cut across and across, ■ to form four three-cornered scones, which will separate and como apart when baked. Bake in a moderate oven for about ten minute's.

Wheaten Scones.—Take Jib. wheat-en flour, Jib. white flour, half teaspoonful of salt', quarter' teaspoonful of tartaric acid, and a small piece of butter. Rub the butter into the flour, and mix, all the dry ingredients very , thoroughly. Add sufficient milk to make a soft dough, turn on to a floured board,; knead lightly, and roll out to the thickness of iin. Stamp -out with a cutter into little scones, and bake in a fairly hot oven eight or ten minutes.