Description
Delightful classic English scones capture the essence of British afternoon tea with their buttery, crumbly texture. Served warm with clotted cream and jam, you’ll savor a perfect taste of traditional English comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 mL) whole milk, plus extra for brushing
- ¼ cup (60 mL) heavy cream or plain yogurt
- 6 tbsps (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup currants, raisins, or sultanas
Instructions
- Thermal Preparation: Elevate oven temperature to 425F (220C) and strategically line baking sheet with parchment paper for optimal scone crafting.
- Dry Component Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a capacious mixing bowl, ensuring uniform ingredient dispersion.
- Texture Development: Integrate frigid, cubed butter into dry mixture, massaging with fingertips until the consistency mimics coarse, granular terrain.
- Liquid Integration: Construct a creamy emulsion by blending milk, cream, and egg, then tenderly incorporate into flour mixture, optionally introducing dried fruit for nuanced flavor profile.
- Dough Manipulation: Transfer mixture to flour-dusted surface, executing minimal kneading (2-3 gentle turns) to maintain structural delicacy while unifying ingredients.
- Shaping and Cutting: Mold dough into a substantial 1-inch thick circular form, employing a precise 2½-inch circular cutter to extract uniform scones, applying downward pressure without rotational movement.
- Finishing Touches: Position scones on prepared sheet, delicately brushing surfaces with milk or cream to cultivate a lustrous, golden exterior, then introduce to preheated oven.
- Thermal Transformation: Bake for 12-15 minutes, monitoring for rich amber coloration and impressive vertical expansion, then extract and allow brief cooling period.
- Presentation: Serve warm, accompanied by luxurious clotted cream, velvety butter, and vibrant jam, embodying the quintessential British teatime ritual.
Notes
- Chill Ingredients Thoroughly: Keep butter and milk refrigerator-cold to ensure flaky, tender scone texture and prevent greasy results.
- Handle Dough Minimally: Overworking causes tough scones; mix just until ingredients combine to maintain delicate, light consistency.
- Cut Straight Down: When using baking cutter, press directly down without twisting to help scones rise evenly and maintain sharp edges.
- Customize Easily: Swap dried fruits like currants or cranberries, add citrus zest, or include chocolate chips for personal flavor variations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: English
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 119 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg