Yet one more scone thread.

I thought the scone-phobes out there might appreciate this, from NZ House & Garden's food editor (latest issue):

"What is it with scones! It seems more than a few cooks have issues with them. 'Small, windowless buildings' is how one reader described her scone-making efforts on our Facebook page following my question: 'What things do you struggle with in the kitchen!'
Well, having made a prize-winning batch of cheese scones this week (as voted unanimously by afternoon tea guests), I’m going to tell you what I reckon is the ultimate secret to making a top-class scone – the missing link that cookbooks never seem to list among their tips, such as using high-grade flour, a brisk oven and minimal handling.
It’s sticky-wet dough.

For years I made scones – usually from the Edmonds Cookery Book – by adding the stated amount of milk and mixing away diligently until the heap of flour in my bowl finally came together into a tidy, smooth lump. A tidy, smooth, soft lump even, just like the recipe said.
But nice and tidy ain’t where it’s at with scones, I’ve decided. You need sticky and messy. You need a dough that couldn’t possibly be rolled out with a rolling pin or cut into neatly uniform rounds with a cookie cutter.
These days I ignore the recipe and keep on adding liquid (buttermilk is my hero) until the dough attaches to the sides of my bowl.

Case in point: my champion cheese scones. I used twice as much liquid as the recipe said. Here’s what was in them: adjust as necessary to make a damp and tacky dough that will stick to you and the bench; mix and bake in the usual way.
Makes 12 labourer’s-size scones:

4 cups self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
40g cold butter, grated
1½ cups grated tasty cheese
A carton of buttermilk
½ cup milk

So, any scone-phobes out there, give these a go if you dare and let me know how you get on. To the scone experts among you – maybe you have another little-known tip you’d like to divulge.
Email me with your scone wisdom.
And to those other cooks who told me they turn out muffins like sinkers, puff-less choux puffs, pavs that resemble shrunken mushrooms, bricks instead of loaves and sponges like Frisbees – I suggest you just bake scones instead."

Personally, I take issue with her self-raising flour which, to me, leaves a baking soda aftertaste.Maybe the buttermilk counteracts that!

One step that is always missed these days is that you fold the mixture once only, and when the scones are cooked they willsplit along the fold.Scones should not need to be cut to be buttered.My grandmother made them by staring with a pile of flour on a newspaper, and mixed them by hand."But not The Truth" -- it was a dirty paper (shemeant that the ink came off.We made perfectly good scones with a cookie cutter (most often a tumbler), but I seem to have lost the knack.It was a teaspoon of BP to a cup of flour, rub in a little butter and mix with milk.

I watched some programme recently where buttermilk was a necessity as it reacts better with the baking powder. Also, to stop your scones going crumbly and falling apart when you take a bite the secret is to use milk powder instead of normal milk. The buttermilk obviously provides the extra liquid.

I'm bl**dy useless at making scone. We actually had a discussion about scone making at work tonite and it made me hungry so I'm gonna try making some in the morning (yes i know its morning now, but I've just gotten in from work and need my sleep lol)and i mite try making them with lemonade and cream as i have plenty of both left over after my cocktail party on Saturday nite.

Mine are only good to fill pot holes on the driveway :(