Strawberry Jam: Scones with jam & cream

My good friend Belle's mum (the lovely Erica) makes amazing strawberry jam, full of large chunks of sweet, soft fruit - it tastes like real strawberries have turned to nectar basking in the spring afternoon sunshine... I do not exaggerate.

So at our last weekly catch-up when Belle casually said, "oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you", then pulled out a jar of homemade strawberry jam I was so excited and rushed for the spoon drawer and cracked it open. Bliss! Just like her mum's. It finally feels like spring is here...

Having now eaten my way through a third of the jar with a spoon I feel it is time to complement the jam with other flavours...

I first had scones made with tonic water when I was living in London and my friend Helen (an incredible violinist who founded The Little Baroque Company) whipped them up one afternoon in a matter of minutes. I was very impressed that she knew a scone recipe off the top of her head, and even more impressed that it only had 3 ingredients.

 

Preheat oven to 220°C and line a tray with baking paper

Ingredients (makes approximately 12 scones):

• 3 cups self raising flour
• 1 cup single pouring cream
• 1 cup tonic water


Method:

1. Sift SR flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the cream and tonic water.
2. Mix with a fork until dough comes together
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until smooth (do not be too vigorous or the scones will be tough). You will need to flour your hands as you go to stop from sticking.
4. Push the dough into a flat expanse - roughly 2 - 3 cm's thick, cut with a round cookie cutter (or easier still, cut into squares with a knife).
5. Place on prepared tray, fairly close together (if they expand into each other a little they are even softer so don't worry if they touch in the oven.)
6. Bake for approx 10 - 15 minutes (NB: the oven is on very hot so do watch the scones and remove them when golden, my oven runs a little cold so I have to set it slightly higher and leave them in for about 15 minutes).

Serve with jam and cream!