One more batch for Vera

I'm moving house this weekend, having finally managed to purchase a place of my own. I'll miss the cosy little flat I've lived in for the past seven years, though I'm looking forward to having a larger kitchen!

Another thing I'll miss is my lovely neighbour Vera. I've often made scones for her as a thank-you for looking after Moby when I've been away. So I decided it'd be nice to make one more batch for her before I leave. Vera claims that she's no good at making scones herself, though I've always made Edmonds scones (p32) and found they  work every time.


Scones seem to be my default setting - I reverted to scones after each of the major earthquakes we've had since last September, and it seems quite appropriate to be marking a major change in my life with a batch of scones - my last Edmonds dish before becoming a homeowner!


Probably the reason I fall back on scones so often is that they are so quick and easy to make. You just sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, rub in butter and mix with milk. When you've got a nice firm dough, knead it very briefly, then shape and cut into scones. Lastly, just brush them with milk and bung them in the oven for ten minutes.


You can have hot, fresh scones on the table about 15-20 minutes after first opening your Edmonds book: it's that quick. This particular batch came out very well - soft and fluffy, with no trace of the dense centre that you sometimes get if the scones are slightly underdone. I took them over to Vera, who was delighted to be presented with a batch of scones totally out of the blue.


So over the next week or so I'll be shifting. The next entry you see will be a dish made in my new red kitchen, in my very own house! I only hope my new neighbours are as nice as Vera!