EASY PLANE RECIPES

Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan oven) mark 7. Sift the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and mix. Add the butter, cut into small cubes, then lightly rub in with fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add sugar and stir in.

Put the egg into a jug, add 2tbsp of the buttermilk or milk and beat together. Make a well in the centre of the crumble and add the egg mixture. Using a round-bladed knife, mix the egg gradually into the crumble. As the dough forms, bring it together with your hands; it should be soft but not sticky. If it feels dry, add extra buttermilk or milk, 1tsp at a time. Shape the dough into a rough ball, then pat into a round.

Lightly flour a clean worksurface and a rolling pin. Gently roll out the dough to at least 2.5cm thick. Dip a 5cm cutter in flour. Cut out each scone by placing the cutter on the dough and giving it a quick push down-wards. Don't twist the cutter; just lift it and ease the dough out. You'll get five or six scones out of the round. Gather the trimmings, re-roll to the same thickness and cut more, repeating until you have a total of eight.