Jam Filled Scones

Today I baked Todd's favourite Jam Filled Scones. You know we love jam in this house . . . I make no secret of it, and I always have lots of it in the cupboard and refrigerator. I have several varieties that I prefer over others . . . Strawberry being my top favourite, followed closely by seedless raspberry and Blueberry. Cherry jam is also a real love of mine.

These scones are lovely. They can be a bit fiddly to make and they seldom stay together when they are baking . . . but Todd loves them and I have to say they are more than worth all of the fiddle and I kinda like the blown out bits myself. Call me crazy, but it's true.

You may even think they're a tiny bit ugly . . . but I can promise you the taste is anything but . . . ugly that is. Perfect for elevensies or afternoon coffee break! (See those bubbles??? There's money in that cup of tea. My mom always says those bubbles meant money, so it must be true!)

*Jam Filled Scones*

Makes 10

A scone with an unusual twist . . . jam in the middle. Perfect with your afternoon cuppa.

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper, or lightly grease.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Whisk in the sugar. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until you have a mixture which resembles fine dry breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre.

Add almost all of the milk and mix to a soft dough, using a fork, and adding remaining milk if necessary. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead briefly to bring it together into a smooth ball. Roll out with a floured rollin gpin to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch rounds with a sharp round cutter, using a direct up and down motion, without twisting the cutter. Pat out a bit and make a hollow indentation in each, about 1/2 inch from the edge along one side. Spoon a little bit of jam into each indentation. Brush the edges with some milk and carefully fold the dough in half to make a semi-circle, covering the jam and pinching the edges to seal. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with a bit more milk.

Bake for 12 minutes until well risen, golden brown on top and on the bottoms. Serve warm, dusted with some icing sugar.