The food of the British Isles has never been more exciting. There’s a rich mix of influences from communities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, showcasing traditional and regional dishes, to innovative twists using familiar ingredients. We’ve scoured the length and breadth of the country to shine a light on producers, cooks and cuisines, to discover the best produce and recipes we have. Join us on this virtual road trip, guided by the food lovers whose passion for growing, making and cooking truly enriches our lives.
Summer berries
Strawberries & cream scone cobbler
By gently cooking strawberries, you create wonderfully syrupy juices that enhance their natural sweetness. It’s a great way to use up berries if they’re past their best, too. Serve them in this cobbler with clotted cream or ice cream for a new cream tea experience. Cassie Best
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 25 mins EASY V
850g strawberries, hulled and halved (or quartered if large)
1-2 tbsp caster sugar (optional)
75g strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
ice cream or clotted cream, to serve
For the scone topping
200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
50g cold butter, cut into small pieces
50g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
125g buttermilk or plain yogurt, plus extra for brushing
1 Tip the strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle over 1-2 tbsp sugar if needed (they may not need any in summer when they’re at their sweetest). Gently stir in the jam, vanilla, lemon juice and cornflour, being careful not to break up the strawberries. Tip into a baking dish (ours was 18 x 28cm) and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2 For the scone topping, weigh the flour into a large bowl and add the baking powder. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, then pour in the buttermilk or yogurt, and use a cutlery knife to combine the ingredients until they start to clump together. Use your hands to knead the dough briefly until you have a rough, sticky dough, making sure no loose flour remains.
3 Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and dust with more flour. Press into a roughly 1.5cm-thick disc and stamp out eight scones using a small, round, fluted biscuit cutter – you’ll need to reuse the offcuts to make eight. Arrange over the strawberries in a single layer.
Brush the tops of the scones with a little buttermilk, sprinkle with a
