Late night Sunday snack... plum jam, whipped cream and buttermilk scones

What do you do when you feel a mite peckish on a Sunday night (...after you've made up a delicious batch of plum jam)?  Why, whip up a batch of super fast buttermilk scones from the Southern Living Cookbook of course.  Or rather "biscuits" as they're known in the US of A.  But here a cookie is a biscuit, and a biscuit is a scone.  But I digress.

First add 2 cups of self raising flour to a nice, high-sided bowl.  And don't forget to pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees celcius.  Add 1/2 cup of butter to the flour, cut into cubes, and use a pastry cutter to mix in with the flour.  When it starts to look all crumbly, you add in enough buttermilk to bind the mix into a nice solid dough.

Turn out onto a floured bench and kneed a couple of times, but not too much or it won't be nice and flaky.  Cut into rounds with a round scone cutter (I like the scalloped edged cutters, they just look yummier), then lay out on a baking tray.  Make the clean-up easier by using baking paper - I hate greasing things up, so I just prefer to use baking paper where I can.  Then pop a bit of the buttermilk on the top with a pastry brush to give them a nice glaze when you bake them.  I use a silicone brush, also for easy clean up - just chuck it in the dishwasher and it's a cinch.  So, now they're glazed, pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are puffed up nicely and a shiny, golden brown on top.

Meanwhile, I recommend whipping up some cream.  Add in a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Mmmmmm, chantilly cream.

When the scones are ready, take them out while they are steaming hot.  The outsides will be crispy and the insides soft and fluffy.  You don't even need to cut them in half, just use your fingers to split them.  Spread some delicious jam (plum is a good option...) on each side, then dollop with just enough cream to cover them.  Enjoy!  I know I did...