Scones recipe - Telegraph 500g (1lb 2oz) plain flour 1 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 heaped tsp cream of tartar 140g (5oz) cold butter, cut into small cubes 2 tbsp golden caster sugar 1 large egg, lightly beaten 275ml (9½fl oz) buttermilk 2 tbsp full-fat milk Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/gas mark 6. It's really important that you do this in advance. As soon as the raising agents in the scone mixture start to work you need to get the scones into the oven. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar. Add ⅔ of the egg (reserving the rest) to the buttermilk and add this to the flour. Stir the ingredients together with a butter knife, then bring the mixture together with your hands, working quickly but lightly, to form a dough. Don't overwork the dough, otherwise your scones will be too heavy. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press it out to a thickness of about 2.5cm (1in). Use a 5.5cm (2in) cutter to stamp out 16 scones. Put them on a lightly floured baking-sheet. Add the milk to the reserved egg to make an egg wash and paint the tops of the scones. Bake for 12 minutes. The scones should be risen and golden on top. Serve warm with butter and jam.