Apple, Oat and Cinnamon Scones. Christmassy.

I still had a few furry apples leftover today despite my beetroot and apple soup-fest last night.  That combined with a request from the loveliest new mummy for egg-less recipes, some milk on the turn (perfect for scones) and a near nervous breakdown when it transpires that a green mumba (snake) has been living in our front garden (!!!) led to some therapeutic baking this morning (it's impossible to focus on my Masters - a few weeks ago we spied a 3m long forest cobra in the back garden).  

Anyway, these are completely delicious in a nutty, not-too-sweet perfect scone sort of way.  But you'll have to bare with me on how to measure the ingredients - the scales' battery ran out mid morning.  They are also rather healthy with only a small amount of sugar thanks to the inherent sweetness of the apples, and wonderfully they make the whole house smell of cinnamon and Christmas.  In fact they are so delicious that I just caught the biggest monkey in our kitchen aiming for the cooling rack!  Heart racing and armed with a sieve and potato masher I managed to save the scones and evict the potential thief... my, my, as I keep being told - 'Africa is not for sissies'!  I need a cuppa and a scone....

Ingredients (makes about 28 small scones)

400 ml self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting)
300 ml porridge oats
50 ml brown treacle sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
2 tsp mixed spice
100 g unsalted butter
3 eating apples, grated (leave the skin on)
about 2 tbsp milk (plus extra for brushing)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and dust a baking tray with flour.
2. Mix the flour, oats, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.  Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs and then stir in the apples.

3. Add the milk if needed to make a soft/firm (if not too contradictory!) dough then roll out on a floured work-surface to about 2cm deep...

Cut out shapes using floured cookie cutter and pop on the prepared tray...

4. Brush with some milk and sprinkle over a little extra cinnamon.

5. Cook at 200C for about 15-20 minutes or until golden on top and cooked underneath.

Serve as fresh as possible, preferably warm on their own, with cream and jam or a good spread of butter.  You can freeze them for up to a month, defrost fully before warming up again.