Honey Scones with Rhubarb Compote

Preparation Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar and orange juice. Simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb pieces have completely broken down and the mixture is thick and sticky. Spoon into a small jar or ramekin and leave to cool. To make the scones, place the flour in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter. Quickly rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Pour the honey into the centre of the well, then gradually add the milk, stirring it into the mixture using a round-ended knife. A soft, rough dough will form. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured worktop and knead very briefly to smooth out the dough. Over-handling the dough will make your scones tough and flat, so knead as little as possible. Gently roll the dough out to a thickness of around 3cm (1 inch). Cut into rounds using a 6cm (2 1/3-inch) pastry cutter, cutting straight down and not twisting, as twisting prevents the scones from rising properly. Very gently re-roll the remaining dough, taking care not to handle it too much, and punch out more scones—you should get 9 in total. Arrange the scones on the lined baking tray and brush the tops with a little extra honey. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Serve warm from the oven, split in half, with big dollops of clotted cream and rhubarb compote. From Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes © 2018 by Martha Collison. Published by HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.