British scones are famous, but did you know they actually started in Scotland?The Scotts pronounce them “skahns” and they were the first to make them in the 1500s as a type of quick bread (no leavening agents required).
In the 1800’s in England, scones became hugely popular when Anna, Duchess of Bedford, apparently tired of being hungry in the afternoons before dinner and decided to request refreshments daily at 4PM.Thus, the English tea time was born, and scones, together with jams, clotted cream, lemon curd and other pastries and savory bites continue to be served and enjoyed in the afternoons all over the world!
What’s the difference between American and British Scones?
American scones are denser, with more butter and sugar.They are made in many flavors (pumpkin, cranberry-orange, maple nut, blueberry, to name a few) and usually cut into triangles and eaten alone, sometimes with a glaze on top.
English scones are lighter, more like an American biscuit, round, with less butter and sugar and simpler ingredients.Fruits are used, but mainly sultanas (golden raisins) or currents.They are usually split in half used as a vehicle for copious amounts of clotted cream, jam or lemon curd.
Lisa Dye of Highlands Teacup Co, is taking the intimidation out of baking traditional British scones by sharing her favorite recipe along with a video tutorial. Lisa even included her tips on making clotted cream- which we all agree could use a new name! Join us in Lisa's kitchen in the video below and print the recipe to save and make.
In a medium bowl combine first four ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and granulated sugar. Stir to combine with a fork, then place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and “sift” the dry ingredients as you pour into large bowl. This helps aerate and further combine the dry ingredients.
Next, grate the cold/frozen butter over the flour mixture, and then combine the butter/flour mixture by rubbing between your hands, so that a sandy mixture is made, somewhat the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
Next, in a small bowl, combine the cream and egg, whisking together with a fork. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour the egg/cream mixture in the well. Use a fork to pull the dry ingredients into the well and loosely combine, then add in the sultanas and minced candied ginger. Finish combining by using your hands to gently turn dough until it the holds together, but is not sticky. Do not over handle, as this will make the scones less flaky and light. Do not worry if you need to add more cream or flour to get to the right consistency.
Turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured surface. No need to use a rolling pin, just use your hands to form the dough into a circle about ½” thick. Use the bottom of a glass or a biscuit cutter, dipped in flour, to press out the scones. Do not twist or wiggle the glass, you don’t want to compact the dough.
Place scones on an ungreased, lined (Silpat) baking sheet, about 2” apart. Preheat oven to 425F.
Brush the tops of scones with some cream or egg (or a combination, it doesn’t really matter), then top each with a sprinkle of demerara sugar. Let sit 10 minutes while your oven reaches temperature. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove and enjoy immediately with clotted cream, jam, lemon curd or just butter!
Tips:
Use a good quality, unsalted butter. I used Kerry Gold.
Soak the sultanas to plump them up for an hour, then pat dry, removing excess water, before using.
Important to keep your butter ice cold until you are ready to grate.
Don’t overwork your dough!
Try with Clotted Cream! Here is an Instapot recipe:
CLOTTED CREAM IN THE INSTAPOT
2 pints heavy cream*
Pour the cream into your Instapot and close. Vent can be on or off, we are not pressure-cooking, so it does not matter (i.e., it’s not dangerous either way).
Press Yogurt setting until it says “boil.” Plan to stay in the kitchen, or within earshot for this step. When the cooker beeps, letting you know it has boiled (can take around 15 minutes), hit the “Keep Warm” button, Instapot will then show 0’s and begin counting up to 10 hours. Good to do this in the am, let it cook 10 hours and before bed. Turn off and let the pot come to room temperature then place the entire pot in the fridge for an additional 10 hours. Remove from fridge the next morning and scoop clotted cream into a bowl. The top may be yellow and have a crust, you can remove that, or mix it into your clotted cream (it tastes great!). There may be some liquid cream leftover, which you can use in your scone recipe! Lasts in the fridge for a week or two.
*Use Heavy Cream v. Whipping Cream (higher fat content in heavy cream)
Try to find a heavy cream (Whole Foods or gourmet shop) that is NOT Ultra pasteurized, it firms up better. It’s ok if you have to use Ultra, it will work.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZORb5g2spg&feature=youtu.be[/embed]
One of the best ways to serve scones is on a tiered stand made by Lisa using antique plates. Lisa's selection changes often as she is always creating new designs. You can find her shop here on Etsy at Highlands Cake Stand Co and on Instagram at Highlands Teacup Co.
With so many ways to use a tiered plate stand, it is the perfect addition to a table set for tea. I also love the idea of several stands being grouped together for a larger gathering, wedding, Mother's Day, Easter, or bridal luncheon. What a great year-round piece to add to your entertaining collection! Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your love and expertise of making traditional British scones!
It's fun to add something different to our typical menus~ I am excited to try making scones from scratch and hope you are, too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Lydia xo
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Lisa Dye of Highlands Teacup Co, is taking the intimidation out of baking traditional British scones by sharing her favorite recipe along with a video tutorial. Lisa even included her tips on making clotted cream- which we all agree could use a new name! Join us in Lisa's kitchen in the video below and print the recipe to save and make.
