Old school scone recipe takes 15 minutes and you only need three ingredients

There's nothing quite like the joy of sinking your teeth into a freshly baked scone slathered with a thick layer of jam - and it turns out whipping up these treats is a breeze taking just 15 minutes.

Chantelle Ellem, culinary whizz and creator of Fat Mum Slim, has let slip that the simplest method to craft scones is by utilising an air fryer, as this clever device takes care of all the hard graft for you.

She revealed: "The trick here is these aren't just any old scone, they're air-fryer scones. The air-fryer is probably the most over-used appliance in our house. It does everything. So it made sense to make these in the air fryer, instead of putting the oven on."

This recipe is not only a cinch to follow but also calls for a mere three ingredients, with the key to perfect scones being lemonade. It may sound odd, but lemonade is packed with citric acid which interacts with self-raising flour to give the scones a lift during baking, resulting in an even airier texture and boosting the taste without the need for sugar.

Chantelle explained: "Old school lemonade works best. While lemonade like Sprite works perfectly fine in this recipe, I prefer an old school style lemonade better. My favourite is Kirks Lemonade."

How to whip up air-fryer scones

You'll need:

Three cups of self-raising flour One up of thickened cream One cup of lemonade

Method:

Start by placing the flour in a bowl and creating a well in the centre. Pour in the cream and lemonade and mix them together, reports the Express. Then sprinkle some flour on a work surface and place the dough on top, kneading until it's smooth. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and shape into scones. Place a sheet of baking paper at the bottom of your air fryer.

Add the scones to the air fryer basket - don't worry if they're packed tightly together, as Chantelle advises that they cook better when touching. She explains: "When placing your scones into the air-fryer basket, it's OK for them to touch them each other, and no need to stress about spacing them out."

"Even when cooking them in the oven, with loads of space, I always made sure they're all grouped together. They just bake better." Cook the scones at 180C for 15 minutes.

If they appear overcooked, continue cooking in two-minute increments until they're done. Chantelle notes: "Every air-fryer is created different. I suggest keeping an eye on them as they cook for the first time, so you can adjust the temperature or cook time and avoid burnt scones."