admin This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my privacy policy.
Buttery British Scones Recipe
British scones are buttery and crumbly, making them ideal for cutting in half and dipping in butter, clotted cream, and fruit preserves. They make the ideal side dish or afternoon tea snack. They are also great as a snack.
Scones were originally mentioned by a poet in 1513, and they were created in Scotland in the 16th century. At first, they would use an open fire to cook oat-filled scones on a griddle. Bannocks, the Gaelic term for cake, is what they were originally named. The ingredients used today include flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and a little bit of lemon juice.
These delicious scones differ from the ones you are used to since they are baked with less butter and milk rather than cream. In contrast to American scones, they don’t have a sweet chocolate filling or a glaze on top. These scones resemble American biscuits more than traditional scones.
A British scone is what we refer to as biscuits. You only need a few things that you probably already have in your kitchen and a short amount of preparation time to prepare delicious baked scones.
How to serve:
Making scones is easy with this great recipe. Enjoy your scones with afternoon tea or serve them as a side dish with soup or stew. You could also try one of these awesome serving ideas or share some of your own in the comments below.
- These great scones are yummy with your favorite fruit spread like strawberry jam.
- Try these with our Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- Not a tea lover? That’s okay. These go perfectly with a cup of coffee as well.
- For even more sweetness, drizzle some chocolate syrup on top.
- Like any baked good, our English scones go great with any kind of fresh fruit from apples to berries.
- These make a wonderful treat for after-school snacks when you want your kids to eat more fruit.
- Since our British scones use less butter, you can add an extra spoonful to them when serving.
What is clotted cream?
Clotted cream is a very thick cream with a high-fat content of about 60%. It has a different taste than butter but is sometimes described as unsalted butter with a nutty flavor. The texture is more like soft cream cheese though. If you cannot find clotted cream, try Whole Foods or make your own with heavy cream. You could also try mascarpone cheese.
Ingredients
British Scones:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cooled and just slightly soft-cubed)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finishing:
- 1 egg (for the egg wash)
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Next, add in the cubed butter, and either using a fork or your fingers, mix it into the flour until fully combined. The dough should look more like sand.
- After that, in another bowl, combine the lemon juice, eggs, and milk, and whisk until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, stir until combined and a dough forms. After that, use your hands to knead the mixture into a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a circle that is 1 inch thick.
- Using a donut or round cookie cutter that is about 2 1/4-inch in diameter (even a wider glass will work), cut the dough into scones, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts.
- If you have remaining dough scraps, you can re-roll the dough and cut a scone or two.
- Transfer the scones onto the prepared baking sheet, not too close to each other.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together with a fork. Lightly brush the tops of the scones and sprinkle them with sugar.
- Let scones rest for 12-15 minutes before baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14-15 minutes, or until scones are risen and are lightly golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the scones onto a cooling rack.
- Serve with tea or coffee, clotted cream or butter, and the jam of your choice.
