breakfast treats – maple drop scones

i have an ongoing desire to create breakfast rituals which help make time, usually at the weekend, for david and i to spend together (our daily ritual is a homemade smoothie).

drop scones, also known as scotch pancakes, are a memory from my childhood – small warm, slightly doughy discs of thick pancake, smeared with melting butter and topped with jam or golden syrup. the key was to eat them quickly so you could work your way through as large a pile as possible… the use of that tactic continues to serve me well!

maple syrup drop scones with summer fruits (makes 10-12 drop scones)

100g self raising flour

25g caster sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 egg, beaten

125ml milk

oil for cooking

fruit for serving – we had strawberries and mangoes, marinated in a little maple syrup

put the flour and sugar in a bowl. mix well and make a well in the centre.

mix the syrup and egg together and pour into the centre of the flour mixture. gradually add the milk, beating until smooth.

use the oil to lightly grease a non-stick frying pan. when the pan is moderately warm drop 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the pan. add as many spoonfuls of mixture as fit comfortably in your pan without touching each other.

cook each drop scone until bubbles appear on the surface and the underneath is golden brown. turn over and cook the other side for another minute or so.

place between a tea towel or kitchen paper and keep warm. repeat until all the batter is used. serve warm with fruit and extra maple syrup.