Marmalade Scones

During those few weeks that my little sister was staying here, we did some cooking and baking together, by that I mean after baking these I did all the cooking, she just did the tasting. Together we had sat on the floor, pulled out a load of my cookbooks and began to choose something to bake. I have to say at the time the prospect of baking with my little sister was something I looked forward too! When she was baby I changed her nappy, fed her when she was a bit older because my mother breast fed, I bathed her, got her dressed, soothed her, and I used to take her out in the pram all the time. As she got bigger I would borrow my Mum’s bike and stick her in the seat and ride around with her, treating her to sweets and other bits and bobs when I could afford them, I did get into trouble with my Mum once because on our travels Mellie and I would have to cycle over speed bumps, at speed of course, after all that’s what makes it fun right? I did however also teach her the usage of a particular swear word as we went over the top of them, I mean come on, to a 14 year old…. This was highly amusing, until my Mum took Mellie out on the bike and started going over those speed bumps, apparently she didn’t find the inference to faeces amusing! Now that I am older and more mature I kind of get why she was so cross. Even so to be honest it still amuses me, this is a happy childhood memory. Anyway, as I was saying, I was really looking forward to this joint baking project with my baby sister. At this point I would like to say she is highly intelligent, talented young lady, also got handed a rough set of cards but she does ok. So I was all excited right up until the moment we started. TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH type thing was going on, both of us were measuring and mixing that is until I asked her to measure out the liquid and instead of measuring 1/3 cup she measured 1 and 1/3 cups she poured the fluid into the mixture and turned it into slop!..... We had to start over, I use the term “we” rather loosely here, what I really mean is I had to start over. The end result was nice, although I wasn’t overly keen on the marmalade butter.

 

Marmalade Scones

1 cup all purpose (plain) flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

2tsp grated orange peel

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup cold butter

1 egg

½ cup chopped mandarin oranges, well drained

Extra sugar

Orange butter

½ cup softened butter

2tbsp orange marmalade

1. Mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, orange peel and salt, using to knives cut in the butter until you have a crumbly mixture, whisk together the egg and milk and then slowly add it the crumbly mixture along with the oranges, stir to combine.
2. Lightly flour your work surface, then turn out the dough and knead gently about 10 times, carefully pat the dough into a 6” round, sprinkle the extra sugar on top, then cut into 8 wedges, place each wedge on to a greased baking tray . Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden, at 400˚F/200˚C.
3. To make the orange butter, simply beat the ingredients together until light and fluffy, serve together with the warm scones.