Mary Berry's iconic scone recipe is a timeless classic, known for its light, fluffy texture and perfect golden crust. With a simple combination of ingredients, her method ensures a foolproof rise and a deliciously soft crumb - perfect for serving with clotted cream and jam.
To mark the cooking legend's milestone 90th birthday, the has been delving into its archives for some of her game-changing . In a recent post, the BBC shared a clip from the 1994 show of Mary Berry's Ultimate Cakes where she made a simple Mary said: "The great this is they're easy to make from ingredients that you're likely to have in the cupboard." A top tip of Mary's is to make the dough slightly on the wet side. She said: "They're difficult to handle, but they rise much better."
A number of Mary Berry fans praised her recipe withstanding the tests of time, with many still using the recipe 30 years after it originally aired on TV.
Nicola commented: "I would like this recipe, as I find it cannot get my scones to rise properly. Clotted cream first."
Ali said: "I couldn't make scones at all until I did this recipe from Mary, they're brilliant now!"
Marco wrote, "I love this recipe. No fuss about cold butter. It works every time," while Tish said, "Brings back memories. Loved your series back then."
To recreate Mary's staple scone recipe for yourself, this is what you'll need.
Mary Berry's SconesIngredients
- 450g/1lb self-raising flour
- 2 level tsp baking powder
- 50g/1¾ oz caster sugar
- 100g/3½ oz butter, slightly softened, cut into pieces
- 2 free-range eggs
- A little milk
- Handful of sultanas (optional)
To serve
- Strawberry jam
- Clotted cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease two baking trays.
Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Crack the eggs into a measuring jug, then add enough milk to make the total liquid 300ml/10fl oz. Using a fork or round-tipped knife, stir the egg and milk into the flour - you may not need it all - and mix to a soft, sticky dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead lightly and work in the sultanas, if using. Roll out to a rectangle about 2cm/¾in thick.
Cut into as many rounds as possible with a fluted 5cm/2in cutter and place them on the prepared baking trays. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk, or any egg and milk left in the jug.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the scones are well risen and a pale, golden-brown colour. Lift onto a wire rack to cool. Eat as fresh as possible.
To serve, split the scones and serve with strawberry jam on the plain scones along with a good dollop of clotted cream.
