Awin

The classic English scone – a delightful and comforting English treat! These little baked delights are bursting with plump, juicy sultanas and infused with just the right amount of sweetness. Whether you’re enjoying them with a dollop of clotted cream and strawberry jam or simply on their own with a cup of tea, they are sure to transport you to a cosy afternoon in the English countryside. So, grab your teapot, brew a nice cuppa, and enjoy the scones!

Scones are so quick to make! When I make these scones I do like to whip up a batch, have some over the weekend and freeze the rest for another day.

Sultanas or Raisins?

Whether you’re baking, snacking, or tossing them into salads, each brings its own unique vibe to the table.

Sultanas and raisins both come from grapes, but they’re very different. Raisins are darker and have a richer and more intense flavour, while sultanas are lighter and have a gentler and sweeter flavour which complements the buttery richness of traditional English scones, making them the more common choice in recipes. Their lighter colour and softer texture also blend seamlessly into the scone dough, adding bursts of sweetness without overpowering the overall taste and texture.

The great divide: “Devon way” or “Cornish way”?

When it comes to scones, there’s a great divide between Devon and Cornwall revolving around a centuries-old debate: cream first or jam first? In Devon, it’s tradition to spread the clotted cream first and then add a dollop of jam on top. They call it the “Devon way.” Over in Cornwall, they do things a bit differently.: spreading the jam first and then topping it with clotted cream, it’s called the “Cornish way.” It may seem like a minor difference, but it’s a matter of pride and tradition in both counties, this debate has been stirring up tea-time conversations for ages. So, next time you have a cream tea in Devon or Cornwall, be prepared to pick your side in this scrumptious debate.

How to make sure the scones rise tall and fluffy?

Cold Ingredients

Keep your butter and milk cold before adding them to the dough. Cold ingredients help create steam when baked, resulting in a taller rise.

Minimal Handling

Don’t overwork the dough. You don’t need to knead it, just gently mix the ingredients until just combined. Overworked dough can come out tough, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture.

Proper Cutting

When cutting out the scones from the dough, use a sharp, floured smooth-edged cutter and press straight down without twisting. Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and prevent proper rise.

Chill the Dough

Chilling the dough in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes before baking helps firm up the butter, which creates steam pockets during baking, resulting in a taller rise and a super-flaky, oh-so-delicious end result.

Hot Oven and tray

Make sure to preheat your oven to a high temperature of 220°C and kick-start the scones’ rise with a hot baking tray. The initial blast of heat encourages rapid rising.

Don’t let it sit around

The longer you let the dough sit before baking it, the less your scones will rise. Try to bake the dough as soon as you finish cutting out the scones.

Ingredients

Makes 6 with a 6.5cm cutter

350g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
85g butter, cut into cubes
3 tablespoon caster sugar
175ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A squeeze of lemon juice
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Jam and clotted cream, to serve

Method

1. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ teaspoon salt and the baking powder, then mix.
2. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar and sultanas.
3. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk, then set aside for a moment. This sours the milk slightly, mimicking sharp-tasting buttermilk, often used in scones but often tricky to find.
4. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a spoon – it will seem pretty wet at first.
5. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother.
6. Chill the dough in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes. If you don’t have time it’s fine to skip this step.
7. Heat the oven to 220°C and put a baking tray in.
8. Tip the chilled dough onto a floured work surface and pat it into a round about 4cm deep. Take a cutter and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have a few more scones. You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out the others. I use a 6.5cm cutter and have 6 scones in total, with a tiny bit of dough left for a little bite-sized one.
9. Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream.

Freezing and reheating

If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160°C) for a few minutes to refresh.

Do you have your scones the Devon way or the Cornish way? Share with me in the comments below 🙂

Janice xx

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