Ultimate Guide to British Scones

Were you wondering what to serve at your next coffee or book club meeting? Look no further. Use this guide to learn how to make the best British scones. In England, these are served at “cream tea” in the late morning, or with afternoon tea. These scones are the best and super easy to make—They’re a fun treat to make as a compliment to your dinner, or a snack between meals to go with a refreshing beverage.

Should I add an egg to my British Scone batter? What does it do?

It’s a matter of personal preference as to whether or not you add eggs to your scones. Adding an egg to your scone batter will change the texture of your scone, creating a richer, more dense result. This recipe will work either way and the egg is completely optional and does not need to be replaced.

What is the difference between a British scone and a biscuit?

A British scone uses more leavening and less butter than traditional biscuits. They are also made with cream. They end up denser and less sweet than American scones or biscuits.

You will use grated butter to create a biscuit-like dough, but you will use cream in the dough and to brush on top. These scones go great with traditional biscuit or toast toppings, like Apple Butter, jam, honey butter, or plain old, delicious butter.

Grating Butter vs. Pastry Cutter vs.  Food Processor

Scones require a pastry technique where you cut a fat into a flour mixture in order to create a sand-like coarse meal texture. This process provides an even distribution of the cold fat in the recipe. When baked at a high heat this fat will expand quickly, creating a flaky, layered texture in the baked good. There are several different ways to accomplish this. You can use a cheese grater to finely grate your butter, you can use a pastry cutter which is a traditional manual method, or you can use the  S-blade on a food processor and pulse the fat.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes. This dough freezes nicely to be made in later on. Make the dough and cut into wedges and then, wrap in parchment paper and seal in a freezer bag. To make, thaw the dough and bake as directed.

Flavor Options for Scones

• Blueberry Scones (1 cup blueberries + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• Chocolate Chip Scones (1 cup mini chocolate chips)
• Cranberry Orange Scones (3/4 cup dried cranberries + 2 tablespoons orange zest)
• Pumpkin Scones (replace half of the heavy cream with 1/2 cup pumpkin puree + 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice)
• Cranberry Scones (1 cup dried cranberries + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• Lemon Scones (replace 1/4 cup of the heavy cream with 1/4 cup lemon juice + 2 tablespoons lemon zest)
• Cinnamon Scones (replace white sugar with brown sugar + 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon)

Serving Suggestions:

British scones are complemented with jam and butter, clotted cream, honey butter, and apple butter. The most common fruity add-in used in England is sultanas or golden raisins. You can add in all kinds of fruits and berries to change up the flavor or make the scones a little sweeter.

Storage Instructions: 

Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

If you like this recipe, here are some other biscuit, scone and roll recipes that might interest you:

• Flaky Old Fashioned Biscuits
• Pumpkin Fry Bread
• Orange Rolls
• Best Homemade Dinner Rolls Ever

Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.