Rich Fruit Scones

First sift the flour into a bowl then add the sugar and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly.

Now sprinkle in the dried fruit, pour in the beaten egg and add 3 tablespoons of milk. Start to mix to a dough with a knife, then bring the mixture together using your hands – it should be a soft but not a sticky dough, so add more milk (a teaspoon at a time) if the dough seems too dry.  Form the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured working surface.

Now, with a floured rolling pin, roll it out very lightly to a thickness of about 3cm. (This thickness is vital. The reason scones don’t rise enough is because they are rolled too thin.) Then take the pastry cutter and tap it sharply so that it goes straight through the dough – do not twist or the scones will turn out a strange shape!

When you have cut as many as you can, knead the remaining dough together again and repeat. Then place the scones on the baking sheet, dust each one with flour and bake near the top of the oven for 12–15 minutes. When they’re done they will have risen and turned a golden brown. Remove them to a cooling tray and serve very fresh, split and spread with butter.