Buckwheat and almond scones

These hearty unsweetened scones hit the spot when you need a chunky, bready accompaniment to soup or cold cuts. The sweetened fruity variation makes a cracking tea break treat.

River Cottage chef Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall Credit: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler

• makes

  4 large scones

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

 

Ingredients

• 100 g ground almonds
• 100 g buckwheat flour, plus extra to dust
• 100 g white rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 100 ml unsweetened almond milk (bought or home-made), or oat milk
• 1 large egg
• A trickle of extra virgin hempseed or rapeseed oil, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

In a bowl, thoroughly combine the ground almonds, flours, baking powder and salt.

In a jug, beat together the almond milk, 100 ml water and the egg.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly to a wet, sticky dough.

Scrape the dough out on to a well-floured surface and sprinkle with more buckwheat (or rice) flour. Pat it into a round, 13–14cm in diameter and 3–4cm high. Cut into quarters and carefully transfer each piece to the baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes until risen and lightly coloured.

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Slice in half and trickle with extra virgin oil. Serve with soup, or hummus, pâté or cold meats.

Fruit tea scones
Replace the water with more almond or oat milk (i.e. 200 ml altogether) and whisk a dessertspoon of honey, or soft light brown sugar into the wet ingredients.

Add 50 g raisins, sultanas or chopped dried apricots, or a mixture, to the dry ingredients, along with 50 g chopped walnuts or pecans if you like, then proceed as above.

Recipe from Light & Easy by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, hb, $45.00). Photography © Simon Wheeler.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.