Country Women’s Association member, 99, shares the secret to the perfect fluffy scone

The perfect ‘fluffy’ scone has nothing to do with what ingredients you choose, a Country Women’s Association member has claimed.

Great grandmother Dorothy Collishaw, 99, from Queensland, said her dad first taught her the trick back in the 1930s after she cooked a ‘disastrous batch’ during a domestic science class.

‘He said “You should’ve stirred them with a knife”,’ Dorothy told Seven News.

Great grandmother Dorothy Collishaw (pictured), 99, from Queensland, said her dad first taught her the trick back in the 1930s after she cooked a ‘disastrous batch’ at school

‘And I said to him: “Well you never told me that!”‘

The reason why stirring scones with a knife rather than a spoon works so well is because you aren’t stirring the scones; you are cutting butter into the flour to coat or shorten the gluten strands with fat.

According to the experts including Masterchef judge Matt Preston, the one thing you don’t want to do is ‘overwork’ the dough.

Matt recommends using a flat-bladed knife or a palette knife to cut through or pull your ingredients when you add the wet ingredients so the items are barely incorporated together. 

Dorothy said over the years she has perfected the ideal ‘fluffy’ scone recipe, and now makes batches of around 100 each year for Country Women’s Association events. 

Previously, fellow Country Women’s Association member Muriel Halsted, 92, shared the secret to her perfect scone, after she was unable to sell them at the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year.

The group often sells as many as 50,000 scones and tea and coffee products created by its members at the show each year, but was unable to in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic stopping the Easter Show from going ahead.

‘So I’ve measured up five level flat cups of flour,’ Muriel said in a video on her scones.

‘And now, I sift it three times.’

Previously, fellow Country Women’s Association member Muriel Halsted, 92, shared the secret recipe to her perfect scone (Muriel pictured baking)

Muriel then recommends that you add a ‘good pinch’ of salt to your mix and then get a knife, and make a ‘well’ in the middle of the mixture.

‘That well is where you put your cream – your cold cream,’ Muriel said.

Then, mix this through with your knife, add some lemonade and stir that through, until you see the mix ‘sort of come together’.

Finally, tip it all out onto a floured bread board, roll it a few times and shape it into a square before you cut out little squares – which will be your scones.

‘I don’t make them quite as well at 92 as I did when I was younger,’ Muriel said.

Finally, brush the scones with milk, set your oven to 220 degrees Celsius and pop them in for 10 minutes – rotating once.

How to make the iconic Country Woman’s Association scones

Muriel said you need a pinch of salt to really elevate your scones (pictured)

INGREDIENTS 

* Five level flat cups of flour

* Salt

* Cup of Cold Cream

* Milk to brush the scones

* Bottle of lemonade

METHOD

1. Measure up five level flat cups of flour, sift it three times and add a ‘good pinch of salt’ to the mix.

2. Make a well in the middle of the mixture, and pour in your cold cream to the centre.

3. Mix this through with your knife, add some lemonade and stir it through until you see the mix ‘come together’.

4. Brush the scones with some milk and set your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

5. Pop them in the oven for 10 minutes, rotating once.

Source: Country Women’s Association of Australia 

Muriel recommends that you add a ‘good pinch’ of salt to your mix and then get a knife, and make a ‘well’ in the middle of the mixture (the mixture pictured before baking)

‘These look amazing,’ one commenter posted.

‘This is my mother’s recipe, I haven’t eaten butter since I was five and she made these especially for me,’ another added.

‘Looking at this video, I think the secret is to be gentle with the dough and use a knife, not working it too hard. Thank you for sharing.’