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Everything you need to know about the Stone of Destiny

An ancient and controversial block of stone has been sent over from Edinburgh Castle to London for the coronation of King Charles III. The stone arrived in London on April 29 and was carried from Scotland in a special carrier made from Scottish oak. Charles became King immediately following the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/queen-elizabeth-passed-away-peacefully-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death of Queen Elizabeth II</a> on September 8 and was officially proclaimed King by the Accession Council on September 10. However, the coronation on May 6 will see him officially crowned as King — with a stone held captive in England for almost 700 years lending a hand. The Stone of Destiny, or the Stone of Scone, is an oblong block of sandstone standing just 66 centimetres high. Its earliest origins are unknown, but it has a long history spanning at least 1,200 years. The stone was first used to crown a Scottish king in 840 AD when Kenneth McAlpin used it in his coronation in the village of Scone. Since then, around 60 kings and queens have sat upon it during their coronations. It is the world’s oldest artefact still used to make monarchs and represents the ancient roots of the kingdom of Scotland. For centuries, the stone was associated with the crowning of Scottish kings, including Macbeth. However, that changed in 1296, when Edward I, the “Hammer of the Scots”, seized it from the Scone Abbey amid a war north of the border and had it taken back to England. He had the stone built into a special chair which has since been marked the Coronation Chair. It was a blunt message to the Scottish, taking away the stone which had been used to crown generations of their monarchs. Since then, English kings and queens would sit upon the stone and claim the right to rule Scotland as well. The stone of Destiny is usually displayed in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle but has travelled far since it was first brought to Scone. Edward I had the stone installed in Westminster Abbey in London, where it remained for almost 700 years, until Christmas Day, 1950. That was when four Scottish students “liberated” the stone from the abbey - sneaking into the church at about 4am, according to BBC. The last of the former students involved in the heist, Ian Hamilton, died on October 3, 2022, aged 97. Mr Hamilton said a piece of the stone broke off as they began to drag it, and he picked it up and ran with it as if it was a rugby ball. The group of students temporarily buried the blocks before driving them to Scotland where they were given to the Scottish Covenant Association and put back together. A few months later, the association decided it should be returned to London. In 1996, the stone was officially returned to Scotland amid a ceremony at Edinburgh Castle. The Stone of Destiny is traditionally used in coronation ceremonies, and King Charles III’s will be no different. It was last used in 1953, after being brought back from Arbroath, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 2020, Scotland’s then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed plans to relocate the stone permanently in Perth, central Scotland. The stone will only leave Scotland for a coronation in Westminster Abbey. King Charles III will sit upon the stone, within the Royal Throne, for his coronation on May 6. Image credit: Getty

International Travel

How to make the best classic scones

There’s a reason the classic scone is a timeless snack. Here is a classic, go-to recipe that you just KNOW is going to result in perfect scones every single time. Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 12 mins <h2 dir="ltr">Ingredients</h2> 3 cups self-raising flour 100g unsalted butter, chopped 1 cup milk Extra flour, for dusting Jam and whipped cream, for serving <h2 dir="ltr">Method</h2> 1. Preheat oven to 220C. Dust an oven tray with extra flour. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 2. Make a well in the centre. Add milk and mix with a butter knife until mixture comes together to form a soft loose dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead briefly (about 30 seconds) until dough is smooth. 3. Use the palm of your hand to press dough into a 2cm thick round. Use a 5cm cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds from dough. Place rounds onto prepared tray, about 2cm apart. Dust with a small amount of flour. 4. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with jam and cream. COOK'S TIPS <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> If you don’t have a cookie cutter on hand, just form the dough into a rectangular shape. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 12 rectangles. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> You can re-roll any scraps but try to limit the amount of times you re-roll to once, as the scones won’t be as light and tender. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Wrapping warm cooked scones with a clean tea-towel will give them a soft crust. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> If the weather is really cold, and you’re finding it hard to soften your butter at room temperature, chill your butter and grate it. This will make it easy to incorporate it into the flour. </li> </ul> Images: Getty

Food & Wine

Queen Elizabeth reveals her favourite scone recipe

The coronavirus pandemic has brought changes to nearly everyone around the world and the British royal family is no exception. Most of the large scale events for 2020 were cancelled or dramatically scaled back in favour of virtual engagements. And the Garden Parties - hosted by the Queen during the British summer - happened to be one of the festivities that was forced to cancel. Not only was it a huge blow to the Queen herself, but also to the thousands of guests from across the UK and the Commonwealth invited to have tea with the monarch. Every year the Queen invites over 30,000 guests for tea in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in London, or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as the Royal Pastry chefs decided to share the much-loved recipe for fruit scones served at the Garden Parties. The recipe was posted to the royal family’s Instagram account in May, have a watch below. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYSjYcHO7E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYSjYcHO7E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Every year at Garden Parties across The Royal Residences, over 27,000 cups of ☕️, 20,000 🥪 and 20,000 slices of 🍰 are consumed! The Royal Pastry Chefs are happy to share their recipe for fruit scones, which traditionally would be served at Buckingham Palace every summer. Remember to tag us in your #royalbakes creations! 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: -500g Plain Flour -28g Baking Powder -94g Butter -86g Sugar -2 Whole Eggs -140ml Butter Milk -100g Sultanas - a type of raisin (Cover in hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes) 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: -Preheat oven to 180 C -Mix the flour, baking powder, butter and sugar together in a bowl, until a crumb is formed -In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and buttermilk together -Add the liquid to the crumb mixture -Continue to mix the dough, until it is smooth -(Optional) Add the sultanas, and mix until evenly distributed 1Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten the dough and cover -Leave to rest for approximately 30 minutes -Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5 cm and cut to desired shape -Rest the scones for another 20 minutes -Gently egg was the top of the scones -Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown -Cool before serving with jam and clotted cream Enjoy!</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"> </div> </blockquote>

Food & Wine

The Queen’s drop scone recipe revealed

We may not afford to live like the Queen – but even amid the pandemic, we can afford to cook like her Majesty. Queen Elizabeth II revealed her personal recipe for drop scones, also known as ‘scotch pancakes’, in a letter which is available in the <a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5721363">National Archives</a>. The monarch prepared the recipe for US President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife Mamie during their stay at Balmoral Castle in 1959. It appeared that the couple was so taken with the delicacy that the Queen, then 34 years old, decided to share the recipe with them. “Dear Mr President,” she wrote in the letter. “Seeing a picture of you in today’s newspaper, standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail, reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I hope you will find them successful.” In addition to listing the ingredients, the Queen also included a few tips. “Though the quantities are for 16 people, when there are fewer, I generally put in less flour and milk, but use the other ingredients as stated,” one read. She added, "I have also tried using golden syrup or treacle instead of only sugar and that can be very good, too. I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making, and shouldn’t stand about too long before cooking.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836048/recipe.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5e45e4bffd4448519943a4cc3f3c9942" /> The recipe is as below: The Queen’s Drop Scones Ingredients: <ul> <li>4 teacups flour</li> <li>4 tablespoons caster sugar</li> <li>2 teacups milk</li> <li>2 whole eggs</li> <li>2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda</li> <li>3 teaspoons cream of tartar</li> <li>2 tablespoons melted butter</li> </ul> Beat eggs, sugar and about half the milk together, add flour, and mix well together adding remainder of milk as required, also bi-carbonate and cream of tartar, fold in the melted butter. The Queen’s recipe ends there, but it is understood that the batter can be poured onto a heated frying or griddle pan and flipped when it starts bubbling on top. Once each side is slightly browned, the scones can be served.

Food & Wine

Lady Lou's papaya scones

This recipe is inspired by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen’s pumpkin scones. Lady Flo, the wife of former Queensland Premier Jo Bjelkle Petersen, was famous for her pumpkin scones which were credited for keeping her husband in office for so long. Recipe by Lou Edney for Ruby Rise Papaya Ingredients: <ul> <li>40g butter</li> <li>¼ cup sugar</li> <li>½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes</li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>1 cup of cooked reduced Ruby Rise Red Papaya* (cooled)</li> <li>4 teaspoons baking powder</li> <li>1 cup plain flour - 1 tablespoon (next time add 1 T back in)</li> <li>1 cup plain wholemeal flour</li> <li>¼ teaspoon turmeric</li> <li>⅛ teaspoon cardamom</li> <li>2 tablespoons plain flour for the bench</li> <li>1 large Ruby Rise Red Papaya</li> </ul> Method: For the papaya reduction: <ol> <li>Cut the papaya in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds.</li> <li>Peel the papaya and puree it in a food processor.</li> <li>Weigh a large saucepan and record its weight.</li> <li>Transfer the papaya to the saucepan and weigh it. Record the weight of the Papaya</li> <li>Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the papaya has reduced by over half (~45 minutes). 1kg fresh papaya will yield around 450g reduced.</li> </ol> For the scones: <ol> <li>Preheat your oven to 230°C (fan forced).</li> <li>Beat together butter, sugar and salt in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.</li> <li>Add egg, beat well.</li> <li>Add papaya and beat well.</li> <li>Combine flours, baking powder and spices and stir into the batter by hand, being careful not to overmix.</li> <li>The dough is quite sticky but that is fine. Flour your hands. Turn dough onto a floured bench and lightly press into 2cm high slab.</li> <li>Cut into circles (4cm in diameter) with a floured cookie cutter.</li> <li>Place on a lightly floured tray on the top shelf of a hot oven for 12-15 minutes.</li> <li>Remove from the oven, allow to cool a little and serve with butter or papaya curd and cream.</li> </ol> Note: As with all scone dough, it is important not to overmix this or you will end up with tough scones. Keep your touch light, knead it as little as possible, and only work it enough to just bring it together. When you have cut your scone rounds out, you can recombine the leftover dough to make more scones, but again, don't overwork the dough.

Food & Wine

Indulge your sweet tooth with some sweet potato scones

As the weather cools down, make sure you indulge your sweet tooth with some sweet potato scones. Makes: 12 Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 32 minutes Ingredients <ul> <li>500g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces</li> <li>3 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>2 tsp ground cinnamon</li> <li>¼ cup caster sugar</li> <li>3/4 cup thickened cream</li> <li>1/4 cup soda water</li> <li>Butter & cinnamon sugar, to serve</li> </ul> Method <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 220°C fan forced. Lightly dust a large oven tray with flour. </li> <li>Place sweet potato onto a microwave-safe plate, cover with wet paper towel. Microwave 7 minutes until just tender. Darin any excess water from sweet potato then mash with a fork. Set aside to cool.</li> <li>Combine the flour, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the sweet potato, cream and soda. Stir gently with a butter knife in a cutting action until a soft dough forms. </li> <li>Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until dough just comes together (dough will be a little sticky). Place on the tray. Roll gently with a rolling pin to a 2cm-thick 18cmx20cm rectangle. Cut into 12, separate slightly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature, with butter and cinnamon sugar. </li> </ol> Tip: These scones are delicious with ½ cup finely chopped dates or raisins added with the flour in step 3. Tip: Make your own cinnamon sugar, combine 2 tablespoons white sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Recipe courtesy of Australian Sweet Potatoes.

Food & Wine

Classic plain scones

Try this simple classic - you can't go wrong with scones! Ingredients: <ul> <li>3/4 cup cream</li> <li>1 cup milk</li> <li>3 rounded tablespoons icing sugar, sifted</li> <li>3 cups self-raising flour, sifted</li> </ul> Method: 1. With a rotary beater, beat together cream, milk and icing sugar for 1 minute. 2. Add sifted flour and combine. Press onto a flat surface and cut into desired shapes. 3. Place on a greased and floured baking tray and cook in a hot oven for 12–15 minutes. Recipe extracted from <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=https://www.booktopia.com.au/everything-i-know-about-cooking-i-learned-from-cwa-cwa-nsw/prod9781760523664.html" target="_blank">Everything I know about cooking I learned from the Country Women's Association of NSW</a> by CWA NSW (Murdoch Books RRP $16.99) Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/plain-scones.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.

Food & Wine

Sweet potato scones

Good news! These scones are heart-friendly. They're low in saturated fat because they're made with oil instead of butter. So, tuck in! Makes: 12 scones Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 3/4 cups (245g) plain flour</li> <li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li> <li>1 tablespoon baking powder</li> <li>pinch of nutmeg</li> <li>1 cup (250g) cooked, mashed orange sweet potato</li> <li>1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil</li> <li>1/4 cup (60ml) low-fat milk</li> <li>1 large egg, lightly beaten</li> <li>2 tablespoons brown sugar</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 210°C.</li> <li>Sift flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg into a small bowl. Stir together sweet potato, oil, milk, egg and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in flour mixture just until evenly moistened.</li> <li>Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat out to a 2cm-thick round. Cut into rounds with a 6cm biscuit cutter. Place rounds on a baking tray about 2.5cm apart.</li> <li>Gather up remaining dough. Pat into a circle; cut out remaining scones.</li> <li>Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.</li> </ol> This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/recipes/sweet-potato-scones">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestsubscribe?utm_source=readersdigest&utm_campaign=RDSUB&utm_medium=display&keycode=WRA85S">offer</a>. <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Food & Wine

Hazelnut & Prune Scones

It wasn't intentional that this recipe would result in something more reminiscent of scones than cakes, but they are incredibly delicious, so I decided to roll with the recipe, regardless of it being a bit unconventional. The brown butter takes a little while to make but smells incredible and adds a delicious nuttiness. Use plain flour if you prefer and serve warm with an extra slather of good butter. Makes: 24 mini scones Ingredients: <ul> <li>150g butter</li> <li>1 cup pitted prunes</li> <li>60g buckwheat flour</li> <li>60g quinoa flour </li> <li>150g ground almonds</li> <li>1 tsp baking powder</li> <li>1 tsp baking soda</li> <li>Pinch of sea salt</li> <li>2 large free range eggs</li> <li>¼ cup milk of your choice</li> <li>½ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 180C on fan bake. Grease 24 holes of a mini cupcake tray very well.</li> <li>First, make the brown butter. In a saucepan, melt the butter gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until the milk solids sink to the bottom and it starts to turn golden brown – this should take about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.</li> <li>Next, puree the pitted prunes in a food processor and set aside.</li> <li>In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flours, ground almonds, baking powder, soda and sea salt, and gradually add in the brown butter, eggs and milk. Mix until just combined. Finally, fold through the pureed prunes. </li> <li>Divide the batter between the 24 holes until they are about two-thirds full. Sprinkle each with the chopped hazelnuts. </li> <li>Bake for about 20 minutes or until the baby cakes are golden, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in their centres comes out clean.</li> </ol> Written by Jordan Rondel. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/recipes/97914384/recipe-jordan-rondels-glutenfree-hazelnut--prune-scones">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Food & Wine

UK Mother’s Day ad sparks outrage over scones

A Mother’s Day ad in the UK featuring scones has caused a heated debate about whether the cream or jam comes first when preparing scones. Cornish National Trust property Lanhydrock House and Garden shared on Facebook a picture of a trio of delicious scones with dollops of thick cream topped with jam. But if you’re from Cornwall, you’ll know jam always come first. Always. Devonians do it the other way around, which is why Cornish folks take fierce pride in their way of preparing scones. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FLanhydrock%2Fposts%2F1835863306445833&width=500" width="500" height="491" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe> The comments were scathing. "Oh my! Not often something riles me to comment but come on Lanhydrock this is unacceptable..... I can let the scone (own) scone (gone) argument go at times but as a top Cornish destination you should know tis jam first! Tint right, tint proper," a woman commented. "What you’re in Cornwall and you show the Devonshire way to have a scone n cream!!!! That's enough to make me cancel my membership!" threatened another. An official British expert explained why the scone debate became so heated. "In the UK, your scone dressing preference depends on where you're from," she said. "The two key areas for cream teas are Cornwall and Devon and they differ on the best method which is why it's always been such a debate." "A Cornish cream tea will do jam then cream, Devonians do it the other way around, but technically the Devon cream tea doesn't actually exist." The National Trust was forced to issue another Facebook post and apologise for the error after the backlash. "We'd like to sincerely apologise for any offence caused by a recent scone-shot shown on the page," the page wrote. "The member of staff responsible has been reprimanded and marched back over the Tamar. We'd like to reassure our Cornish community that our catering team would never make such a heinous mistake and that our jam and cream are usually served in little pots so the order of their application is not subject to such appalling error. Rest assured, your mothers are safe here." How do you like your scones? Jam or cream first? Let u know in the comments below.

Food & Wine

Pumpkin scones

These scones are subtly spicy (well, unless you add the optional chilli, as then they're just plain punchy). Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>½ cup icing sugar</li> <li>1 tsp ground cumin</li> <li>1 tsp ground cardamom</li> <li>1 tsp ground chilli</li> <li>1 raw red chilli, chopped (optional)</li> <li>½ cup cooked pumpkin, mashed</li> <li>1 tbsp. butter</li> <li>300ml chilled milk mixed with 1 egg</li> <li>a little extra milk</li> </ul> Method: <ol start="1"> <li>Turn the oven on to 220C.</li> <li>Rub butter into flour; add everything else and mix gently.</li> <li>Shape scones by hand and place, almost touching, in a lamington tray (i.e. not too large, high-sided cake tin). Brush with the extra milk.</li> <li>Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are brown.</li> <li>Serve with soup, or buttered for lunch with cheese. They are also surprisingly good with plum jam or medlar jelly.</li> </ol> Written by Jackie French. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Image credit: Marina Oliphant.

Food & Wine

Date scones

People travel far and wide for Lydia's date scones at Seashore Cabaret, named after the baker who created them. Reader Jenny Ngan Kee visits the cafe weekly with friends and says the highlight of the trip is the date scones, which are "absolutely delicious". "They've got my vote for the best in Wellington! They're a little bit different from your usual date scone with layers of date striated through the scone." Ngan Kee says she would love the recipe to get her fix more than once a week. We contacted the beach-side cafe on her behalf, who happily supplied the recipe. Makes: 12 Ingredients: <ul> <li>450gm flour</li> <li>1 ½ tablespoons baking powder</li> <li>3 tablespoons citrus sugar (see recipe below)</li> <li>½ teaspoon of salt</li> <li>260gm grated butter (grate then chill)</li> <li>180gm crème fraiche</li> <li>4 eggs</li> <li>Date paste (see recipe below)</li> <li>1 teaspoon vanilla essence</li> </ul> Method: 1. Mix the flour, baking powder, citrus sugar and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk the crème fraiche, vanilla and eggs. 2. Add the chilled grated butter to the flour mixture and combine by rubbing in with hands, then gently fold in creamy egg mix until a rough dough is formed. Turn out the dough onto a floured bench, gather into a ball and roll to 1.5cm thick square, fold in thirds, then fold in opposite thirds and press down. 3. Chill in freezer for five minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1.5cm high and spread date paste all over, right to the edges. Then roll the dough into a log, sit the seam side face down. Press down gently. 4. Cut the log into 12 even sized triangles and place on a baking tray. Egg wash each scone and sprinkle generously with citrus sugar. 5. Bake at 200C for about 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Date paste: <ul> <li>2 cups dates</li> </ul> Place dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Wait 10 minutes, remove from water and add to food processor. Save the water. Pulse dates into small bits and add small amounts of water until a paste is formed. Add a pinch of salt and process again briefly. Citrus sugar: <ul> <li>1 teaspoon lemon zest</li> <li>1 teaspoon orange zest</li> <li>2 teaspoon ground ginger</li> <li>1 teaspoon cinnamon</li> <li>300gm raw sugar</li> </ul> Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Then keep refrigerated. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk%20%20%20" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a>

Food & Wine

Sour cream scones

Isn’t sitting down to scones and tea just about one of life’s sweetest pleasures? Anne Taylor shares the classic recipe. Ingredients: <ul> <li>Plain flour, for dusting</li> <li>3 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>80g butter, cubed</li> <li>1 1/4 cups sour cream</li> <li>Jam and whipped cream, to serve</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly dust a flat baking tray with plain flour. Sift self-raising flour into a large bowl. 2. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (Or you can put everything in a food processor). 3. Make a well in the centre. Add one cup of sour cream. Mix with a flat-bladed knife until mixture forms soft dough, adding more milk if required. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. 4. Pat dough into a two-cm-thick round. Using a five-cm (diameter) round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Press dough together and cut out remaining four rounds. 5. Place scones onto prepared baking tray, one-cm apart. Sprinkle tops with a little plain flour. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and well risen. Transfer to a wire rack. 6. Serve warm with jam and cream. To read more of Anne’s recipes you can visit her blog <a href="http://aussie-products.com.au/category/recipes/">here</a> or her Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/buyaustralianproducts?ref=bookmarks">here</a>.

Food & Wine

Maggie Beer’s date scones

Quick, easy to make, and very delicious, you’re going to love Maggie Beer’s recipe for date scones, a clever take on a morning and afternoon tea staple. Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 cups plain flour</li> <li>6 teaspoons baking powder</li> <li>4 tablespoons icing sugar</li> <li>½ cup milk powder</li> <li>½ cup LSA</li> <li>Pinch of salt</li> <li>2 cups cream</li> <li>⅔ cup milk (approx.)</li> <li>1 ½ cups chopped dates</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 180°C.</li> <li>Mix together the dry ingredients.</li> <li>Gently add the combined milk and cream, lastly the dates.</li> <li>Cut with a 4cm fluted round cutter (60g raw weight) and place onto a lined tray.</li> <li>Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.</li> <li>Serve with a generous amount of jam and cream!</li> </ol> How do you like to enjoy your scones? Share your thoughts in the comments. Recipe courtesy of the Maggie Beer Foundation. To find more information please visit their <a href="https://www.maggiebeerfoundation.org.au/" target="_blank">website here</a>. Follow the Maggie Beer Foundation on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mbeerfoundation/" target="_blank">Facebook here.</a> Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</a>. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/06/caramelised-onion-and-thyme-scones/">Caramelised onion and thyme scones</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/05/pumpkin-and-lemonade-scones/">Pumpkin and lemonade scones</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/03/macadamia-bush-tomato-and-pumpkin-scones/">Macadamia, bush tomato and pumpkin scones</a>

Food & Wine

How to make the perfect scone

There’s nothing finer in life than freshly baked scones with jam and cream served with a cup of tea. Here’s everything you need to know to make a perfect batch. Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>40g chilled butter, chopped</li> <li>2 teaspoons caster sugar</li> <li>1 ½ cups buttermilk</li> <li>Buttermilk, extra, to glaze</li> <li>Raspberry jam, to serve</li> <li>Cream, to serve</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 230°C. 2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre and pour the buttermilk into it. Using a knife in a cutting motion, stir mixture until a soft, dough forms. You may need to add a touch more buttermilk to soften the dough. 3. Lightly flour and clean work surface and then turn dough onto it. Knead with a light touch until the dough just comes together. Be gentle and make sure you don’t overwork it – this is what causes tough scones. Using your fingertips, gently pat the dough into a disc that is about 3cm thick. 4. Lightly dust a square cake pan with flour. Using a 5cm-diametre round dipped in flour, cut out your scones from the dough. Be sure to re-form any excess dough and cut out more scones from it. Arrange the scones in the prepared tin so they are only just touching. Lightly brush the tops with the extra buttermilk. Bake on the top shelf of the over for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and scones sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm with jam and cream. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/02/crispy-potato-roast/">Crispy potato roast</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2014/12/tuna-mornay-bake/">Tuna mornay bake</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2014/12/vanilla-slice/">Vanilla slice</a>

Food & Wine

Caramelised onion and thyme scones

The perfect pairing for a hearty bowl of soup, these fresh, warm caramelised onion and thyme scones are the perfect savoury dish to bake this winter. Makes: 20 Ingredients: <ul> <li>80g of butter, chilled and chopped</li> <li>3 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>½ cup grated parmesan</li> <li>1 cup milk</li> <li>⅓ cup caramelised onion relish</li> <li>1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves</li> <li>More milk, for brushing</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>To begin, preheat your oven to 200°C.</li> <li>Using your fingertips, rub the butter into flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.</li> <li>Stir in parmesan and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. </li> <li>After this, make a well in the mixture and add milk.</li> <li>Stir the dough with a butter knife, until it just comes together.</li> <li>Add the caramelised onion then fold it into a mixture.</li> <li>Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to from a round, 2cm thick.</li> <li>Using a 5cm cutter, cut rounds from the dough.</li> <li>Reshape scraps of dough to cut more rounds.</li> <li>Lightly grease a baking tray then place rounds on it.</li> <li>Brush rounds lightly with milk then bake for 25 minutes or until golden.</li> <li>Transfer to a wire rack and cover with a tea towel before serving warm.</li> </ol> Don’t you just love scones? Do you think you’ll try this recipe at some stage? What’s your personal favourite scone variation? Please let us know in the comments below. Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</a>. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/03/macadamia-bush-tomato-and-pumpkin-scones/">Macadamia, bush tomato and pumpkin scones</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/08/cheese-garlic-bites/">Easy cheesy garlic bites</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/04/cheese-scones/">Cheese scones</a>

Food & Wine

Macadamia, bush tomato and pumpkin scones

For the perfect savoury snack, why not try this scone recipe? When dried it has a caramel-like flavour and slightly tangy acidity. Makes: 18 Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 cups self-raising flour</li> <li>½ teaspoon salt</li> <li>1 tablespoon sugar</li> <li>60g butter, cold, diced</li> <li>½ cup macadamias, roasted, roughly chopped</li> <li>1 cup bush tomatoes, finely chopped</li> <li>¾ cup pumpkin, cooked, mashed</li> <li>¾ cup buttermilk</li> <li>Extra buttermilk, for brushing</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.</li> <li>Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in the sugar. Use your fingers to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir through the macadamias and bush tomatoes.</li> <li>Make a well in the centre and pour in the pumpkin and buttermilk. Using a flat bladed knife, stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll dough out to a 2cm thickness.</li> <li>Cut into rounds with a 6cm cutter, dipping the cutter into the flour each time before cutting. Place the scones close together on the lined baking tray. Brush the tops with a little buttermilk and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and hollow when tapped on top.</li> </ol> Recipe courtesy of Australian Macadamias – <a href="http://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/en/taste/recipes">visit their site for more yummy food ideas.</a> Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, head to the <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/rocket-feta-pomegranate-salad/">Rocket, feta and pomegranate salad</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/spinach-feta-muffins/">Spinach feta muffins</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/macadamia-salad-dressing/">Macadamia salad dressing</a>

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