apple & sultana scones

Here I am writing this post and my stomach is talking to me, and not in a good way. It started talking to me at 4am this morning, after about an hour decided it had enough and left me alone so I could get a bit more sleep. I hopped on the train and it talked to me, Nurofen seemed to quiet it down a bit and then just as I was doing the dishes, it starts again. Unfortunately I don't speak a word of stomach language so I have no idea what it's trying to say to me but it's probably along the lines of 'I don't like what you're eating'. So yes, something I've eaten has given me a particularly upset stomach.

Stomach issues aside, here's a recipe for Apple & Sultana Scones which I baked over the Anzac long weekend. The recipe conveniently used up the last apple I had in the house (yes mum will be particularly pleased) and well, it's conveniently also been my breakfast for the last couple of days. (Unfortunately, the rumour that an apple a day keeps the doctor away doesn't quite apply here. If my stomach pains persist, I am definitely going to go see a doctor!)

The recipe made use of the newly purchased food processor (which I love by the way) but don't be fooled, there's actually a bit of work you need to do where the food processor's not involved. 

Start by preheating the oven to 220 degrees. Combine 225g plain flour, 4 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp caster sugar in the food processor.

Cut into cubes 50g unsalted butter. Add the butter to the flour mix and process for about 20 seconds until the mixture resembles find breadcrumbs. You might actually need to use a scraper to move the ingredients off the side of the food processor bowl (like I said, whilst it's a handy machine, you still need to do your bit!). Transfer the mix to a large bowl.

Peel, core and finely dice 1 eating apple. Stir in the apple and 40g sultanas into the mixture.

Beat 1 large egg and 80ml full cream milk together in a measuring jug and gradually pour into the flour mixture and bring to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth.

Gently pat or roll the dough to a thickness of 2.5cm. Place on a lined baking tray.

Cut the round into 8 equal pieces. What the recipe actually suggests is reserving a bit of the egg mix from previous and brushing the tops of the scones with it to give it a nice, golden finish. Somehow or other, I skipped through this part so mine's aren't quite so golden as the ones pictured in the book.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. 

Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Enjoy your scones with a lick of butter!

I've been keeping my scones in the fridge so that they last a bit longer (at the moment, I'm the only one eating them because my brother aka the rat decided he doesn't like scones in general - he did the same thing again where he broke off a chunk when I wasn't looking!) Personally I think they're rather healthy (much healthier than most of the things I bake) and they're great for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack. 15 seconds in the microwave is spot on to reheat them.

Well now that all the apples are used up, I'm looking at all the oranges we have at home and thinking what I can do with them. Does anyone have any suggestions?