Babington House’s unbeatable scone recipe
Take your high tea like you’re at Babington, with the House’s indulgent spin on the classic British treat
At precisely 3.30pm every day at Babington House, located in the Somerset countryside, afternoon tea has always been served. Think quintessential classics, such as wafer-thin cucumber sandwiches, choux buns and towering gateaux, recipes for which you can find in Eat Drink Nap, available at sohohome.com.
For an Easter treat, why not start on the cooking by preparing these scones for your family, housemates, or yourself.
Ingredients
Makes 12
230g/ 8oz self-raising flour
A handful of raisins
1 tbsp caster sugar
240ml/ 8 1⁄2 fl oz double cream/ heavy cream
20ml / 1 1⁄2 tbsp milk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 320°F/ gas mark 3.
2. Put the flour into a mixer, then add the raisins and sugar, combining slowly. Then, gradually pour in the cream until you have a soft dough. If you don’t have a mixer, it’s fine to do this by hand.
3. Roll out your dough to at least 2cm/ 1in thick and cut into rounds with a 6cm/
2 1⁄2in scone cutter.
4. Place the scones on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and brush each one with a little milk.
5. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until slightly golden on top.
6. Serve slightly warm with whipped cream and strawberry jam.
House tip: while other scone recipes use milk and butter, it’s the double cream that makes the Babington scones so special, so don’t leave it out.
