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Honey scones with rhubarb compote

While visiting Scotland and Northern Ireland, I found that the humble scone is quite the centre of attention. Our simple jam-and-cream offering, with the occasional raisin thrown in, doesn’t quite cut it compared with the likes of treacle, cinnamon or cherry scones. This is a simple scone with a bit of a makeover: glazed with sticky honey and generously smothered in clotted cream and tart rhubarb compote.

MAKES ABOUT 9 SCONES

PREP TIME: 30 MINS

COOKING TIME: 12–15 MINS

RHUBARB COMPOTE

200g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into small pieces

50g caster sugar

100ml orange juice

HONEY SCONES

300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

75g cold butter, cubed

25g caster sugar

2 tbsp runny honey, plus extra for glazing

125ml whole milk

Clotted cream, to serve

You will also need a 6cm-round pastry cutter.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2 Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar and orange juice. Simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb pieces have completely broken down and the mixture is thick and sticky. Spoon into a small jar or ramekin and leave to cool.

3 To make the scones, place the flour in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter. Quickly rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.

4 Pour the honey into the centre of the well, then gradually add the milk, stirring it into the mixture using a round-ended knife. A soft, rough dough will form. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead very briefly to smooth out the dough. Over-handling the dough will make your scones tough and flat, so knead as little as possible.

5 Gently roll the dough out to a thickness of around 3cm. Cut into rounds using a 6cm pastry cutter, cutting straight down and not twisting, as twisting prevents the scones from rising properly. Very gently re-roll the remaining dough, taking care not to handle it too much, and punch out more scones – you should get 9 in total. Arrange the scones on the lined baking tray and brush the tops with a little extra honey.

6 Bake for 12–15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Serve warm from the oven, split in half, with big dollops of clotted cream and rhubarb compote.