Traditional British Scone Recipe

After returning from a month spent in beautiful London, I have been craving the traditional British scones that are such a part of life there. The scones sold here in the US are quite unlike British scones: they are very sweet and incorporate all kinds of fruit and flavours (from blueberries to cinnamon to pears and cheese!). British scones are simple, perfectly balanced, and unparalleled, and to get them here in the US, I have no choice but to make them myself! There's also no better way to spend an autumn or winter afternoon than enjoying freshly baked scones, hot tea, and a cosy book....      

I've been using this recipe to craft my own traditional British scones since I've been back in the US, and they're pretty close to what I was able to get in the UK. I sometimes allow for a few twists in the ingredients (substituting in gluten-free flour, for example), and some people prefer plain rather than 'fruit' (sultana raisin) scones, so feel free to adjust as you prefer!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat/gluten free, if you prefer)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter (I use Kerry Gold unsalted because it's Irish and so soft and creamy!)
• Half a cup of sultana raisins (or just golden raisins if you can't find sultanas in the US... I haven't been able to)
• Three-quarters of a cup of milk (I usually use whole milk or even half-and-half to get richer scones)
• One egg yolk for glaze
• Fruit preserves and clotted cream for serving, if desired

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit.

Mix the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended. 'Cut' the butter into the dry mixture using either your hands (my choice!) or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly and there are no more large chunks of butter. Try to avoid warming the butter beforehand - you should use cold, firm butter for this step. This can be difficult when you use typical US butter, which is why I use Kerry Gold - it's much softer even when refrigerated.

Desired texture once the butter has been cut in  

Once the butter has been 'cut' in, add the raisins (if you don't want plain scones), mix, and then add in the milk or half-and-half. Knead lightly with your hands until well mixed - but don't overdo it! Less is more here, and over-mixing will keep the scones from being light and fluffy. You want the dough to be quite moist.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured, flat surface and flatten to about a three-quarter or one-inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (about two inches in diameter) to cut the dough into circles. If you don't have a round cutter, that's fine (I don't!) - just use the bottom of a round glass that's about two inches wide to lightly mark the top of the dough, then cut the circles out with a sharp knife. This works just as well. Place the scones an inch or so apart on a greased baking sheet.

Isolate the egg yolk from the whites in a small bowl and whip with a fork. Use a brush (your fingertip will work too!) and lightly glaze the tops of the scones. This will create a lovely golden glaze once the scones are baked - but use only a very little (just until the tops are shiny) or the scones will come out soggy. Then pop them into the oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Beautiful! Scones are best eaten warm, so either enjoy them right away or heat up for a minute in a toaster oven if you'll be eating them later.

Here's a bonus tutorial for serving scones the proper British way. Cut the scone in half lengthwise, so you have two flat circular pieces. Spread with a sweet fruit preserves or jam - I prefer Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves - and then top with a dab of clotted cream, if you can find it. You can substitute whipped cream too, but clotted cream (kind of like a mix between whipped cream and butter) is the traditional way to go. The Fresh Market carries Double Devon Cream, but it's difficult to find elsewhere in the US. After having my scones this way in the UK (which is how they're always served), I can't eat them any other way! And don't forget the tea!

afternoon tea: delicious chocolate-almond scone recipe

I frequently mourn the fact that Eli and I live in the US, where afternoon tea is not a widespread tradition. We both drink quarts of tea a day (morning, afternoon, and evening!) and have extensive collections of tea from all over the world. Scones are an essential companion to tea, but they are also delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. This is my classic recipe for delicious, fluffy chocolate-almond scones. Eli and I (and our families and friends!) have enjoyed this treat for years.

Note: Though this recipe calls for chocolate chips and almonds, you can switch these ingredients out with all kinds of fruits, nuts, or other flavours. Fresh blueberries or dried cherries are classic alternatives, but a unique variation that I really love is chopped bartlett pears, shredded asiago cheese, and dried rosemary for savoury scones.

Ingredients (makes eight scones):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour) you can also substitute whole-wheat or gluten-free flour for a healthier alternative, though the stick of butter later on kind of defeats any attempts at healthiness...)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup diced almonds (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter in with two knives (or a pastry cutter, which is much easier; just knead it in if neither of these seem to work) until only small lumps remain. Mix in chocolate chips and buttermilk. The recipe includes almond extract, which adds a lot of almond flavour and fragrance on its own, but you can also add in the optional diced almond pieces for additional almondy-ness!

Turn onto a lightly floured surface to knead. Knead as little as possible, just until everything stays together, then form into a one-inch thick circle. Cut most of the way through the circle to form eight pieces, but leave them adjoined. Cooking the scones all together like this will ensure that they retain more moisture and don't dry out, which they might if they are cooked individually.

Lightly dust the top of the circle with granulated sugar (makes a slightly crunchy and sweet crust on the scones after they've baked!) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are soft golden, and you can insert a knife into the center and it comes away clean. Let them cool for a little while, but try to taste them while they're still fresh from the oven. They do store well for about a week in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!!