Minge's scones

This is my famous scone recipe. No, really, it is famous. I hate to blow my own trumpet, but anyone who eats them asks for the recipe.

• 500g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 4 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 50g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 25g Trex (hard vegetable shortening) in small lumps
• 300ml buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (NOT essence)
  
• 25g caster sugar
• 75g dried chopped apricots
• 25g almond flakes

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220ºC.
2. Sift the flour, bicarb, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl.
3. Rub in the fats to the crumb stage.
4. Beat the egg and buttermilk together with the vanilla extract (though reserve one tablespoon) and add to the crumbed flour/fat.
5. Knead breifly to form a dough before adding the apricots.
6. Roll the dough out to a 3 or 4cm thickness.
7. Cut scones out with a 6.5cm round cutter. You should get ten or twelve.
8. Place your scones on a buttered baking sheet, brush with the reserved tablespoon of buttermilk/egg/vanilla mixture before scattering them with the flaked almonds and slam them into the oven.
9. Bake for ten minutes (depending on your oven) or until well risen and golden.
10. Serve warm from the oven with clotted cream, your favourite jam and a nice cup of coffee.

You can substitute the dried fruit for any other kind, really. Also, if you don't like the idea of using sugar, use a sugar substitute, honey, black treacle or and kind of syrup. However, if you use a "wet" sweetener, you might need to cut down on the buttermilk slightly. Just experiment. Also, if the thought of using vegetable fat turns your stomach, replace it with another 75g of unsalted butter.

They really are rather good.

Exciting!

Nice to make a scone!