3 ingredient Scones for small households (dairy free option): lower fat, quick & easy, fruit option

A lighter, brighter delicious scone that's simple and quick to prepare.

Just Double cream, fizzy water & flour (and in this case, peaches)
 produce these quick & easy fresh fruit scones. 

Scones, the familiar English baked tea-time treat served fresh and often hot from the oven, is a highlight of visits to the UK's historic country houses. 

Reports that some National Trust sites are no longer planning to bake their own scones - or other treats - and will be buying them in, is not just disappointing but almost sacrilegious.   Brought-in scones - even if from a central source - just won't be the same...but then many feel that is also true of the National Trust these days.

Scones are a unique English combination of bread and cake.   Light and fluffy, often several centimetres high, they have a crispy exterior and fluffy, tender middles.  They are the perfect vehicle for lashings of cream and jam, washed down with good English tea.  But bakers often add fruit or savoury bits like bacon or pastrami and cheese.

They're a treat, an indulgence...and what else could they be with lots of high cholesterol butter as one of the main ingredients?

If you're one of those worried about the fat levels of scones, here's a solution.

A three-ingredient scone with half the fat of the usual.  The recipe consists of self-raising flour, double cream and carbonated water.  (Double cream is half the fat of butter: 100gm butter, 717cal; 100g double cream, 446cal). 

That's all.  

They're ever so easy to prep; they'd be great for a beginner.  There's no rubbing of butter into fat and no mess -- tedious when you just want a nice warm scone, preferably soon.  With the 3-ingredient scone, just dump, stir, shape and cut.  

The dough is a little stickier than normal but if care is taken with cutting, rises beautifully.  67 has added fresh peach but plain are fine.

Cost: £1.75'ish, more for dairy-free (8/25)

Makes: 6'ish medium

Ingredients: 

162g/5.7oz self-raising what flour (plain flour, add 1.5 tsp baking powder, ie 1 tsp per 100g/3.5oz)

83ml sparkling water

76 ml dairy double cream (see dairy-free below)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 peach or equivalent fruit  (optional)

 

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
2. Preheat oven or air fryer to 200c/390f/fan180c
3. If using peaches, peel, cut in small bite size pieces; roll in paper towels or clean teatowel to remove some moisture; set aside until needed
4. Mix dry ingredients in good sized bowl
5. Stir together liquids; add to dry ingredients, stirring without overmixing, until soft and sticky
6. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface;  working quickly, press gently  until stickiness reduces.  Form into a rectangle.
7. Mentally divide rectangle into three; fold left side onto centre and right side on top.  Repeat 2 more times, handling dough as little as possible.  On the last rectangle , add a layer of peach pieces.
8. Shape into a rectangle or round about 2.5cm/1 inch'ish high 
9. EITHER (1) cut into smiliar sized rectangles or triangles OR (2) using a 6cm/2.5in round cutter, cut dough into rounds without twisting, gathering together remaining dough and recutting until dough is used up.  
10. Using a knife or metal spatula, transfer scones to baking tray
11. Brush tops - but not sides - with milk or a little beaten egg
12. Bake 12-15 mins until golden brown 

 

Comments:

'They were very easy and quick to make.  They were lovely fresh out of the oven and the bits of fresh peach were sublime.  Leftovers should be warmed in the oven. The ones I had were quite high and the insides a bit springy.  I like the contrast of crisp and fluffy; next time I'll flatten the dough a bit more.' Retired writer 

Tips:

• If you don't like the idea of carbonated water or springy interiors, try the vegetarian Egg & Butter Free Flaky Scone which only uses double cream as liquid. The results are wonderfully flaky rather than springy but are higher in cholesterol.
• The recipe has not been tested for dairy-free cream (available at Waitrose) or spelt flour
• Replace peaches with cheese and/or bacon or pastrami OR corn & green onions  - just make sure additions are of a small size 
• Dairy Free replacements: recommended by net but not tested by 67: Flora plant cream, coconut cream OR cashew or soy cream OR plant yoghurt the thickness of double cream, either by straining or by adding water)

 

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These recipes has been written in conjuction with All Recipes; the method has been adjusted by y B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.