These actually aren't killer... but they taste so delicious that you could probably distract a psycho serial killer by offering them one of these scones. (Actually, maybe don't test that at home!).

This is the magic ratio for making creamy, fluffy, warming (even though its currently swelteringly summery here) scones...

1 cup of flour : 30g butter : 1/3 cup milk (but only add it as needed)

Ingredients/utensils (for a single batch):

• 1 cup of self-raising flour
• 30g of butter
• 1/3 cup of milk (full fat, skimmed, low fat, they all work the same)
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 butter knife
• 1 measuring cup
• 1 baking tray (and baking paper for the tray if you like)
• 1 oven
• 1 glass/round biscuit cutter
• 1 rolling pin (optional)

Method:

1. Chop the butter into cubes (if its cooking butter) or break it into small lumps (if its margarine/butter substitute/easy spread butter) and put them into a mixing bowl with the flour. Make sure you rub the butter (at room temp - not cold)  into the flour with your fingertips only!
2. Once the butter is evenly distributed, the mixture should have a bread-crumby consistency. This is when you add the milk - but make sure you don't add all the milk at once and that you stir it into the butter/flour crumble mixture (as you pour) using only a knife.
3. Remember to preheat your oven (like I always forget to do) to 180 degrees!
4. Now you need to roll out your dough (using a rolling pin or a cylindrical glass if you are at your auntie's house and her kitchen is a disaster) until its about 1.5cm thick.
5. Then, cut out round shapes using a glass (you turn it upside down and use it like a biscuit cutter). The diameter should be around 5-6cm.
6. When you have put all of your  cut-out scones on a tray, make sure they are butted up right next to each other so they are all touching. Then you can brush a bit of milk over the top using a cooking brush or be lazy like me and drizzle a bit on each scone. This just makes the tops get nice and golden in the oven.
7. Scones normally take aroud 15 minutes to cook in the shower, but I'd check them after 10 minutes because all ovens are different. Mine is a psycho gas one, I know.
8. Once they are done (you can tell by sticking a skewer in one to see if it comes out clean, if you are pedantic - but a golden brown colour should be enough indication), take them off the tray and wrap them in a clean tea-towel (or if its just relatives or someone you don't particularly like you can use a dirty tea-towel!) and let them sit just long enough to get the jam and cream (or butter for us regular folk) out of the fridge and call your family members to the table...
9. (although they will taste so good you'll probably wish you didn't have to share them)

Happy Valentines!  Whether your madly in love or a single pringle, here's a recipe for some heart shaped cookies.

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter

75g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

150g plain flour

25g dark chocolate ~melted and cooling

More chocolate to decorate

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180*C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put butter, sugar and egg yolk in a bowl and beat well. Stir in flour and then knead until smooth.

3. Divide the dough in half, then knead the melted chocolate into one half until it is evenly coloured.

4. Roll out chocolate dough between two sheets of baking parchment, to a thickness about 3mm. Then roll out plain dough in same way.

5. Cut out hearts for both doughs using different sized cutters. Place a light-coloured heart in the centre of a larger chocolate heart and vice-versa.

6. Bake for about 10 minutes and leave cool.

7. To decorate, melt chocolate and put into a piping bag or sandwich bag and snip the end. Carefully pipe dots or zigzags. Leave to set.

Happy Valentines

x

And what can I do to improve it?