Scone or s-ch-oooone? Who knows? Who even cares? This is the fierce debate which divides Britain. And it doesn’t stop there. Yes, we also argue about whether one should put the clotted cream on top of the jam, or whether cream should be on the base. It’s almost too much to bear.
But fear not – for these little baked treats don’t require any additional toppings (these versions are my lower sugar ones, so it sort of negates the entire point if you were to slather them in cream and jam)! Just a delicious, warm scone ready to be torn into pieces and devoured.
These scones are based on Violet Bakery’s recipe. The Violet versions are absolutely delicious, and I used to love having eating them, but I’ve had to adapt the recipe to suit my personal breakfast-blood sugar-diabetes situation*. I use a little honey instead of maple syrup, and I lower the prune content. I also portion the dough into 16 scones, rather than 12. By all means though, make the original versions (because they are STUNNING), this is just a personal preference!
So, onwards! These scones aren’t actually too far a departure from my usual porridge and fruit breakfast. The nutty flavour of the spelt flour lends itself beautifully to the scones, making it the perfect morning bake. They are soft and buttery in the middle, and firm and crisp on the outside.
Violet recommends making the dough the night before, and chilling it in the fridge overnight. This way, you can portion out the dough and bake them as you need them, while freezing the rest individually for when you need them. Zero waste, and freshly baked scones every time. Isn’t that perfect!? Plus, filling your kitchen with the smell of freshly baked scones is the perfect way to start your day.
Disclosure: for any diabetics – this version still contains sugar! Just less… They are an occasional breakfast treat, not for everyday.
Oat, Spelt and Prune Scones
(adapted from the Violet Bakery recipe by Claire Ptak)
- 4 tbsp brewed Earl Grey tea (60ml)
- 250g pitted prunes
- 200g oats (Violet recommends jumbo, I just used standard oats)
- 375g spelt flour, wholegrain
- 80g light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 300g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 4 tsp honey
- 250g plain natural yoghurt
- 1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp milk (this is for the egg wash – optional. I don’t do this, but it does make them more golden and wonderfully appetising!
- Butter a baking tin (mine is 20x20cm), line it with greaseproof paper.
- Brew your Earl Grey tea. Preferably quite strong. Pour 50g tea into a bowl, then add the prunes.
- Weigh your dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix together. Add your cold cubes of butter, then rub in quickly using your fingers (or the back of a fork), until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs, yolks, honey and yoghurt. Pour this into the dry mixture, and mix until just incorporated.
- Pour into your prepared tin, then tear up the prunes and scatter over the top. Push them down, then spoon over the remaining juices from the tea.
- Smooth with a spatula, then cover with cling film and pop it into the fridge. Leave overnight.
- In the morning, when you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan).
- Take your mixture out of the tin, and on a clean surface, cut your mixture into triangles. I do this by cutting the square in half, then cut each log into 4 squares, then cut each square in half. (see pic below)
- Place the ones you wish to bake onto a baking tray, and bake in the oven for 25 mins.
- Wrap the others individually in cling film, and freeze them.
They are AMAZING when they’re fresh out of the oven. Try with a little butter spread on top if you wish, but I think they’re glorious on their own.
Enjoy! Love Becca x
beccabakesbrownies 