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This easy English Scones Recipe is perfect for entertaining guests! A traditional tasty English teatime treat that’s so easy to make at home.
Today’s recipe has a special place in my heart! These easy British Scones remind me of one my favorite vacation destinations: London. ย My husband and I love everything British: the accent, the weather, and especially the food. Yes, I’m serious, I love British food.
London is a great city for foodies. Even if you’re a student and don’t have much money (like we did on our first trip, where we stayed in a hotel room without windows to save money) you can experience Michelin starred cuisine (choose the lunch menu), eat the finest sandwiches from Harrods (go there just before they close), and taste traditional Afternoon Tea (get the cream tea instead of the whole Afternoon Tea).
Scones with clotted cream and jam are definitely one of my favorite treats and they’re so easy to make at home!ย
These scones are so simple to make! I like to make the whole recipe and freeze most of them. Then when I want one I defrost it, most times I use my toaster oven or just let them sit on the counter for a few hours, and they taste like fresh out of the oven!
Like my Easy Lemon Raspberry Cakeย or my Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel, British-style scones are a great addition to a brunch or special-occasion breakfast like Mother’s day, Easter or Christmas. (Have a look at myย Breakfast & Brunchย category for more brunch inspirations!)
What is the difference between American Scones and English Scones?
British scones are differentย from American scones! British ones have less butter and sugar in them because you slather clotted cream (which is kind of a butter) and sweet jam on them when you eat them. They are flaky, fluffy, and so delicious!
English scones contain more leavening agent than you would normally use for this amount of flour but you want them to rise high in a short time.ย And you don’t really add add-ins into the dough like in the US version. British scones are preferred plain, sometimes a few raisins are added but that’s very rare.
Clotted Cream is really hard to find outside the UK. You can find it on Amazon or make your own (here is a great tutorial from Cupcake Project). But be prepared that it’s expensive to buy real clotted cream outside the UK, but you should definitely try it.
If you can’t find clotted cream you can use butter, whipped cream, or mascarpone which is a great alternative I often use and available at most big grocery stores in the deli section.
This English Scones Recipe is really easy and fast to make, using ingredients you probably have at home anyway. Scones are traditionally served in the afternoon atย teatime with a cup of tea but they’re also perfect for brunch!
– Julia
Looking for more Brunch Recipes?
- Baked Oatmeal Recipe
- Spinach Tomato Quiche
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
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English Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 3 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ยพ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF (200ยฐC). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and put it in the oven while it is preheating.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers to work it in until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- Heat up the milk on the stove or the microwave until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
- Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and combine them quickly with a fork.ย
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour, then fold the dough over a few times until smooth. Don't overwork the dough. Pat into a round disc about 1.5-inch (4cm) high.
- Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Press scraps together into a round and repeat until all the dough is used. You should get 6โ8 scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, then carefully place them onto the hot baking sheet.
- Bake for 10โ15 mins until golden on top. Serve topped with jam and clotted cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Made this recipe several times over the past month. Best recipe ever! I freeze my butter then grate it. I also let the dough rest in frig a few minutes.
This is one of the best scone recipes Iโve made and believe me Iโve made plenty.. nice texture and flavor
Thank you for sharing this scone recipe. I’d like to know which is the better option – to use milk or cream in the recipe. If I want to use cream, how much cream should I use since cream is thicker than milk?
Yanna, I recommend following the recipe for the best results.
Hi, is the egg in the ingredients use only for egg wash and not in the actual making of the dough? Thank you
Yes, it’s only used for the egg wash.
Made exactly according to recipe and they were delicious. Very easy to make
I would like to make this recipe this weekend. I am curious why you heat the milk when every other recipe says keep it cold? Also, what type of butter do you prefer? Thx
Using warm milk is a trick I’ve learned from a British friend’s mum. I use unsalted butter.
Perfdc ,if I do say so ,myself
Ive added dried apricots , dried cranberrires and some white chocolate chunks.
Theyre perfect for pre church breakfast and they kept my family ฤtummy from rumbling. Will make again and again .
Thanks so much for this recipe because it’s very adaptable to savoury as well as is .
The family thanks you to.
I made these for my wife for motherโs day. I needed some pointers here and there, but they came out spectacularly. Great recipe!
Can you use a food processor instead of your hands to mix the butter and flour mixture?
That should work but be very careful not to overprocess the mixture.
What kind of milk should I use?
I use whole milk, but 2% will work too.