Royal Recipe: Scones

I recently bought a book called Dinner at Buckingham Palace. It's a collection of anecdotes, rarely seen photographs, authentic recipes and menus from the royal household. This book is based on the diaries of Charles Oliver, a servant who lived and worked for most of his life within the palace. It was a hobby of his to collect royal menus and recipes. This book, published after his death, is a compilation of these recipes. Starting with a brief history of royal cooking it goes from Breakfast (eggs) to Tea, Soup, Savories, Fish, Meat, Poultry, Vegetables, Desserts and Wine. Also included are menus for every month of the year. Even if you don't cook any of these recipes, it can still be enjoyed as a fascinating insight into a rarely seen part of the royal household.

I thought it would be interesting, from time to time, to feature some of the more straightforward recipes. So, here's the first one: Scones.

Ingredients

8 oz flour
2 oz margarine
2 oz sugar
2 oz currants
1 egg for mixing
small amount of milk (optional)
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
egg to glaze

Make a soft dough by mixing the ingredients, including the egg (and a little milk if necessary). Place on a lightly floured board and gently roll or pat out the dough to a thickness of about 3/4-1 inch. Using a small plain cutter, cut out the scones and put them in a greased tin, making sure they are well spaced out. Brush them over with a smear of beaten egg and bake in a hot oven (450 degrees F) for about 10 minutes.

Source: Dinner at Buckingham Palace, page 24.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

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