Basic Recipe: SweetScones
29th April 2011 by hopeeternal
A Cream Tea isaspecial treat, much anticipated and usually taken at a leisurely pace when on holiday in the UK. Some cream teas have stayed longinmy memory:aseaview cafe at Lyme Regis in Dorset, the Lee Abbey Tea Cottage in Somerset… I particularly recall a sunny afternoon birthday Cream Tea we booked for my father taken on board the Pride of Lee,whilst leisurely drifting along the River Lea on the borders of Essex and Hertfordshire.What exactly is a Cream Tea? Usuallyit comprises sweetscones with thick cream and strawberry(or another flavour) jam (sometimes butter too – choose all or some)plus tea to drink, apparently the idea could date back as far as the 11th Century. I knew this wasexactly what I wanted to include as part of the Mothering Sunday Afternoon TeaI preparedthis year. The cakes were madein advance, leaving enough time to finish the ‘baguette bite’ sandwiches and make the scones on the Sunday afternoon.
On this occasion I chose to make plain scones, which are actually very slightly sweet,using Delia Smith’s recipe for Devonshire Scones from the original version ofher Book of Cakes. It was a simplefairly standardrecipe, as far as I could see, but without the added instructions to egg-wash the top of the scones for a golden brown shiny finish. I am sure this could be done if wished, but it was an extra job on a busy afternoon I was glad not to have to do (especially as my guests were about to knock on the door). Scones just have to be made fresh on the day they are eaten: they are not the same the following day. However, a tip from my grandmother, slightly sour milk can be used for scones. This does work, but I usually don’t have time to make them when the milk is off! Speed and a light touch are essential: a heavy handed approach leads to solid scones. Some cooks even recommend that the dough is cut with a knife rather than using cutters. On this page there is first this basic recipe for a plain scone with just a little sugar for sweetness, but eventually other sweet variations will appear here, including scones with fruit (raisins/sultanas or cherries), treacle scones, for example. There will eventually bea separate post –Basic Recipe: Savoury Scones forthose containing cheese and other savoury ingredients.
'Meanderings through my Cookbook' http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com
Devonshire Scones
(Makes 10-12 scones)
8ozs/225g self-raising flour, sieved
1½ozs/40g butter, at room temperature
¼pint/150ml milk (slightly soured is fine)
1½level tsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
To serve:
40zs/100ml clotted cream
or
¼pint/150mlwhipped double
Jam – usually strawberry, raspberry or blackcurrant
1. Preheat oven to 220oC/425oF/Gas7. Grease a baking tin.
2. Sieve the flour into a bowl and quickly rub in the butter using fingertips. Stir in the sugar and the pinch of salt.
3. Using a knife mix in the milk a little at a time. When combined gently bring themixture together with floured hands into a soft dough. If it is a little dry then add a drop more milk.
4. Gentlyshape on a lightly floured surface with lightly flouredhands until about ¾-1inch/2cm-2.5cmthick. There are mixed views over whether using a rolling pin is a good idea: Delia Smith uses a lightly floured one but I was always taught to use my hands.
5.Cut rounds with a 1½-2inch/4-5cm flutedpastry cutter(but without twisting to avoid misshapen scones). Once as many as possible have been cut then gently bring the dough together and cut again. Try to roll out as little as possible to avoid toughening thescones. Alternatively, the squares can be cut with a sharp knife.
6. Place the sconeson the greased baking tin and dust each with a little flour. Bake near the top of the oven for 12-15 minutes. When done the will be risen and golden brown.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and eat soon – slightly warm is lovely. Serve spread with butter and/or cream and/or jam – all three if you wish.
Alternative recipes for sweet scones (untried):
Treacle Scones – Delia Smith’s Book of Cakes
Wheatmeal Date Scones – Delia Smith’s Book of Cakes
Scones with dried fruit: sultanas/raisins/cranberries/dates/apricots/figs …
(like the ideaofyoghurt in the mix) Normal in London(E17)
Fruited Scones –sozzled (fruit soaked in liqueur)– Good Food Channel
Fresh Strawberry (or other fruit) sconesvia Arugulove
Lavender Scones– All recipes
Rose Petal Scones (with Rosewater)– Good Food Channel
Ginger Beer Scones via Dan Lepard: Guardian
Lemonade Scones– Fig Jam & Lime Cordial
Lemonade Scones – Good Food Channel
Oat and Maple Syrup Scones–Smitten Kitchenvia Cake, Crumbs and Cco*king
Vanilla Almond sconesviaDan Lepard: Guardian
Chocolate Sconesvia Chocolate Log Blog
Apple Sconesvia Lavender & Lovage
Cherry Scones – CWS Family Fare
Ginger Scones – CWS Family Fare
Honey Scones – CWS Family Fare
FAQs
Baking tips for making the perfect scones
The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.
What to avoid when making scones? ›
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
- Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
- Only using all-purpose flour. ...
- Overmixing the dough. ...
- Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
- Baking them ahead of time.
British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also be savoury. They frequently include raisins, currants, cheese or dates.
Is heavy cream or buttermilk better for scones? ›
You could use buttermilk instead of heavy cream in this recipe if you prefer. Its acid reacts with the baking powder to keep the dough tender. But since we use heavy cream and an egg, this dough is richer than traditional biscuit dough and doesn't need much tenderizing.
Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›
For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.
What type of flour is best for scones? ›
We recommend using all-purpose flour. There is some debate as to what flour one should use to go around achieving the perfect scone. This is because within different flours comes different levels of protein.
How to get scones to rise high? ›
To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.
Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›
Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.
Why are my scones not light and fluffy? ›
Some common reasons for dense scones are not using enough baking powder, overworking the dough and not baking with the oven at the correct temperature.
What is the difference between American scones and English scones? ›
American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.
The American equivalent of a scone, pronounced to rhyme with moan, is a biscuit. Sometimes made with cream, sometimes made with buttermilk, always light, flaky and delicious.
What is the difference between a scone and a shortcake? ›
Whereas a scone has a shorter, more biscuity crumb, a shortcake is almost half cake and half scone. (These shortcakes also have cream in the dough, to add a further layer of indulgence.
What does too much butter do to scones? ›
My scones have turned out more like a cookie than a scone!
If you double the amount of butter in our recipe, they'll turn out more like cookies (we tested it for you). So, try to reduce the amount of butter. Keep in mind that after rubbing in the fat into the flour, it should give a crumbly texture.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk in scones? ›
Just use the same amount of yogurt as the recipe calls for buttermilk. For the right thickness, you might need to mix it with a little water. Sour cream: Sour cream substitute works well too! Just like with yogurt, use the same amount of sour cream as you would buttermilk.
Why are my scones so dry? ›
Don't overbake! If you bake scones too long, they'll dry out, so keep an eye on them through the oven window. (Don't open the oven to look — it'll let out the heat.) “Bake your scones until they are just golden brown,” Bethany recommends.
How to get really high scones? ›
Much like cinnamon rolls, arranging your scones side by side, just touching one another, helps in making the scones rise evenly, and higher.
What are the qualities of a perfect scone? ›
Among the myriad baked goods in the breakfast pastry canon, scones are uniquely delicious in their humble simplicity. The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced.
Why aren t my scones light and fluffy? ›
Add some extra baking powder/soda, they might not have raised enough. If your scones barely rise in the oven, reconsider the amount of water you've added. You might want to add more. Otherwise, increase the amount of baking powder/soda.
