Traditional Scones

If you ask anyone to describe afternoon tea, scones are bound to be mentioned. Normally having their own tier on a three tiered stand. They are even the main focus of cream tea, with clotted cream and jam. Traditional British scones are plain and slightly sweet, but its common for the addition of raisins, sultanas, currants, or glacé cherries. Even savory varieties with cheese, onions, and bacon are available widely in England.

Since I've been in the States, I don't recall seeing what I know as a scone. The American version, which has become more ubiquitous with the spread of coffee shops everywhere, are more dense, dry and triangular in shape; and I don't think I've seen a plain one, they are always some flavor, and commonly have icing on. Vanilla, with a vanilla glaze; pumpkin with a spice glaze; blueberry with a lemon glaze, are all common examples, and are usual eaten on their own, along side coffee.

So the only way I'm going to get a traditional British scone, is to make them myself. I'm going to stick to the plain variety. I remember my grandma making these all the time, these and malt bread, they were always on the go in her kitchen when we would go round.

The ingredients are all basic items, with one exception, the addition of the clotted cream after the scones are ready. Fresh clotted cream is a gift from the gods, but alas not available anywhere I've seen. I've even tried to source unpasteurized heavy cream at every place I could think of where I live for, 50 miles in every direction. I read online that some Whole Foods carry UHC, not the one closest to me (which is an hours drive away). In the hope of creating my own clotted cream, there are several 'how to' pages on Pinterest, which look amazing, so if I ever do find some unpasteurized, I will definitely be giving that a whirl. So given all that, I found some jarred clotted cream online, and as where I live is hot 10 months out of the year, I chose a seller who shipped it cold packed. 

**this post was later than intended, as the seller didn't ship for 10 days, then they posted it late in the day on Tuesday and they didn't arrive until Friday, can't say I was too impressed with that**

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Self Rising Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

6 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter

3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

7oz Buttermilk

1tsp Vanilla Extract

To Serve: Clotted Cream, Preserves

Makes 8 scones

Preheat oven to 425F *once the oven is preheated put your empty baking sheet in*

Equipment: Baking sheet, Pastry cutter (optional), 2" scone/biscuit cutter.

First measure out the flour into a mixing bowl, cut the cold butter into cubes and measure out the salt and baking powder.

Stir the salt and baking power into the flour before then adding the butter.

Now here is the optional part on the method, where I live it is hot, I'm always hot, even with the AC going, so I choose to do this part with a pastry cutter. If I did this the way my grandma did, by rubbing the flour and butter together with her fingers, I'd have a melted mess, and we want to keep that butter cold, to give the scones their light fluffy texture. So use a pastry cutter or use your fingers, whichever works best for you.

Work the butter and the flour together until you have a fine crumb consistency.

Next stir in the sugar, I'm all for making as little washing up as possible, so I just used the measuring spoon.

Heat the buttermilk in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, until just warm then add the vanilla extract to it. Make a well in the middle of your flour/butter mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture in there.

Working quickly with a regular dinner knife, mix the two together, to make a wet sticky dough.

Dust your work surface and hand well, tip the dough on to the floured surface and then give the top of it a good dusting of flour also.

Only fold it a few times on itself then shape it into a 1 1/2" thick round, I got the ruler out as I always underestimate just how thick that is

Nice and high!

A 2" cutter might seem a little on the small side, but its one of the best sizes for scones, remember they will grow in size slightly during baking. To cut the scones out give your cutter a dip in flour first, then get as many as you can on your first run. I used a fluted cutter, as that's what my grandma used, but a straight sided one tends to give a more even rise while baking.

I got four from my first run, bring the remaining dough together and you should be able to get another four, depending on how close to the 1 1/2" thickness you were.

Once you have all your scones cut out, beat the egg slightly in a bowl, to use as a wash.

When egg washing the top of your scones, try not to get any on the sides as it can give you an uneven rise. Transfer the scones on to the hot baking sheet from the oven and then bake for approximately 12 mins until they are risen and golden on top. 

Once baked and golden on top, then can be eaten warm straight away, or cooled and eaten later.

Scones form a line across them during baking, which is perfect for splitting them in two with your fingers. It's not proper afternoon tea etiquette to use a knife to cut them, freshly baked scones should split with ease.

The preserve commonly served with scones is strawberry jam, but you can use which ever is your preference. I had some lovely homemade lemon curd, so I used that, wonderful!

Warm scones, clotted cream, lemon curd, & tea.

As I mentioned earlier, the etiquette for eating scones is not to use a knife to cut them, also you shouldn't use a fork to eat them either. If you have spreader, they are perfect, a butter knife would also be good. Spread on your cream and preserves and then use your fingers to eat them.

Plate: Royal Albert Old Country Roses Salad Plate

Cup and Saucer: Royal Albert Old Country Roses Cup and Saucer
Jar: Weck Mini Jar
Spreader: Discontinued, Royal Albert, Old Country Roses, I got mine from eBay.
Clotted cream: Clotted Cream 6oz
Pastry Cutter: Pastry Cutter Stainless Steel
Scone/Biscuit Cutters, Fluted: Stainless Steel Round Biscuit Cutters with Fluted Edge, Set of 4
Scone/Biscuit Cutters, Straight Sided: Endurance 4 Piece Stainless Steel Biscuit Cutter Set

I hope you give these traditional British scones a try.

Happy baking, Stephanie.