Recipe: Cinnamon Scones (for Mondays)

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 Woke up to a Monday that felt like a shrug. Not bad, not good, just a bit grey around the edges. I put the kettle on and reached for cinnamon. Sometimes that’s all you can do really: stir spice into flour and trust your hands to remember the rest.

These scones are easy enough to make before the café opens, soft enough to eat warm, and just sweet enough that you don’t need jam. Though a little butter doesn’t hurt.

I’ve taken to setting one aside. Not for any reason, really. Just habit. Just in case someone turns up mid-morning with a story and cold hands.

Cinnamon Scones
makes 8

Ingredients
250g plain flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp fine salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g golden caster sugar
60g cold unsalted butter, cubed
150ml buttermilk (or whole milk with a squeeze of lemon)
A little extra milk for brushing
Demerara sugar for the top

Method

Heat oven to 200°C (fan). Line a baking tray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon and sugar.

Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.

Stir in the buttermilk gently, just until it comes together. Don’t overmix.

Tip onto a floured surface, pat into a round about 3cm thick, and cut into 8 wedges.

Place on tray, brush with milk, sprinkle with demerara.

Bake for 12–15 mins until risen and golden. Cool slightly, eat warm.

 

Best on a day when you don’t know what you need, only that it smells like cinnamon and it’s still warm from the oven.