Let’s Cook: Just like Gran used to make…

Growing up with griddle scones were one of the finest things I had in life. Coming into the house and being encapsulated by the fresh, off the griddle scent and eaten still warm with real salted butter and golden syrup where you couldn’t venture to far away from the plate as the melting butter would amalgamate with the syrup meaning the remanence would be mopped up with the remaining scone. For years I had the privilege of walking in to the scones just off the griddle but also there when the ingredients were being gathered and laid out on the kitchen table and at times being dispatched to the shop for one of the essential missing items before the work could commence. When I say work, I believe it was some of the finest art work coming together and I had the opportunity many times to witness it. Obviously there was no recipe, just a handful of this and an alleged tsp of that, with no recipe in writing, though every ingredient and stage burned into my mind it would be years later that I would try and replicate grans scones on the same griddle that offered many moments of comfort and joy to my family, friends and neighbours and those who were encapsulated if the wind was in the right direction, I just hope that I have done grans recipe justice for others to enjoy and share.

For this recipe, if you don’t have a griddle, a good heavy based frying pan will also work.

Ingredients

550g – self raising flour
125g – chilled butter
x2 eggs
200ml – full fat milk
30g – golden caster sugar
x1 large tbsp – golden syrup

Method

Once you have all your ingredients measured out and if it’s safe to do so, open the doors that lead to the outside world or perhaps a window to share the smell of the scones on the griddle.

Sieve the flour and add the caster sugar. Cube the butter an add to the flour mix. Rub the chilled butter in until it resembles fine bread crumbs, be patient at this stage as the butter is cold and you will think that it won’t come together but it will.

Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until fluffy. Add the yolks and whisk again, followed by the golden syrup, another quick whisk, followed by the milk, one final whisk and add to the flour. Mix gently until it all comes together and no further.

On a well floured surface with well floured hands prepare the dough into a neat round, flouring the top well. Don’t be shy with the flour as the dough will be sticky and will also help with the finish of the scones

Using your hands, press the dough out gently into a round, turning the dough a couple of times in the flour until it is roughly 10 inch round and 1.5 cm thick. With a sharp knife cut as evenly as you can into eight wedges or into ten depending on how big you like them.

With the griddle on a medium heat, place the scones neatly in a circle formation and cook for 3-4 mins until nice and golden, turning the scones over and cooking again for 3-4 mins.