Afternoon tea scones are a quintessential part of British culture. Of course, with the upcoming royal wedding, tea and scones will be a requirement whilst watching! Learn how to make the best scones using my tried and tested scone recipe, and how to serve them with a lovely cup of proper British tea.
Originally published May 1, 2012
Unfortunately, I have a lot to say about scones.
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First of all, I grew up with scones, and I LOVE scones! (If you don’t want to hear what I have to say about scones, simply scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe. However, I will tell you, you’ll miss all of my tips.)
Scotland’s bakeries and tearooms have to be among the best in the world. The sweets and savory treats being created in these places, are often beyond description, so my standards are high. I’m also going back to the UK enough to keep getting the “real thing” which keeps my standards high!
The Afternoon Tea Experience
We were just in the UK last July, and were lucky enough to have so many wonderful scones! Afternoon tea scones can be served very casually.
My wonderful Aunt Rosa made us her homemade afternoon tea scones the day we left to go to Scotland. Then, we found the loveliest little tearoom called the Sweetapples Teashop, in Marshfield, England.
I was so excited to have tea and scones at Cafe Loco in Oxford, an Alice in Wonderland themed tea room in a 500 year old building!
While in London, I bought a scone from Harrod’s for only 65p (about $1) for my daughter, which she ate the next morning and it was still incredible the next day! Yes, I’m asking myself the same question you probably are: why did I only buy one?!
However, afternoon tea scones can also be served quite a bit more formally, as they do at Down Hall in Essex.
As you can see, good afternoon tea scones come in all shapes and sizes.
Traditionally, they are plain or have raisins, or currants. They must be light and well-risen to be considered really good scones.
Many times when my mother and I attempted to bake something British here in the US, it wouldn’t turn out the same. Of course, the flour is different, so are the milk and eggs and all the other ingredients, so it’s not surprising. However, we’ve always kept trying to replicate certain things we loved from when we lived in Scotland.
Scones are one of the bakery items we baked a lot. I must have tried a dozen or more different recipes until I created this one myself. Now, it’s the only scone recipe I use.
In my quest to find the best scone recipe, I learned many things which result in lighter, and more perfect scones.
How to Make the Best Scones
(Tips for Best Scones)
- (My) GOLDEN RULE OF COOKING-Use QUALITY ingredients!
- Use real butter, no substitutes
- Buttermilk helps the scones to rise more than plain milk (no buttermilk? use milk + lemon juice)
- Do not overwork the dough, or the scones won’t be light
- Use very sharp cutters to cut out the scones, this also helps them to rise
- Place them relatively close on the tray as they will rise more than if they are far apart
And no, American biscuits and scones are not the same thing. They look similar, but that’s all. They are made differently using different ingredients.
How to Freeze Scones
I love to make a double batch of these and bake half, then freeze the other half (unbaked.) It’s very easy if you place them on a well-floured tray and put them in the freezer, uncovered. Leave them for about two hours, until frozen, then remove them from the tray and place in a freezer bag, and return to the freezer.
This way you can bake one, two or as many as you want, whenever you want warm, freshly baked afternoon tea scones, with no mess to clean up!
You can also bake the scones and freeze them as soon as they have cooled completely. However, the first method is my favorite way to freeze them as you will end up always eating a freshly baked scone.
Afternoon tea scones are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays (including having a tea party for children), and of course, afternoon tea!
In case you didn’t know, there are lots of different types of scones. I don’t mean currant scones, or orange cranberry scones. You could make girdle scones, or potato scones or soda scones, for example.
Printable recipe is at the bottom of the post.
Afternoon Tea Scones
Prep time: 15 mins Baking time: 16 min
Makes about 8 medium sized scones
NOTE: for best results I highly recommend using a scale for precise measurements
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 g) good quality all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (70 g) salted butter (cold)
- one egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) + 1 tbsp buttermilk
- (1/4 cup (40 g) raisins or currants, optional)
- cream and jam, to serve
Special equipment: sharp cutters like these or these
Make the Dough
Heat oven to 400ºF (205ºC)
In a bowl, place the dry ingredients. Mix lightly to combine.
In a measuring jug, put the buttermilk (including the 1 tbsp.) Beat the egg in a small bowl, then pour into the buttermilk and mix well.
Place the butter in the center of the dry ingredients and cut with a knife into about 16 pieces. Next, take another knife, pastry blender or your hands and cut/mix the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and buttermilk, *reserving one tablespoon of liquid in the jug.
* Edited Jan. 2018 – I found this step in another blogger’s scone recipe recently and was shocked. She took credit for this part of “her” recipe and gave no credit to me. I had made up this step after years of making these scones, and have NEVER seen this method anywhere else. She also says to use room temperature butter and knead the dough! UGH, she’s got a huge following and is misinforming so many people. 😢
Mix gently with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, just about 10 seconds. If you are adding dried fruit or any additions, add it now.
Roll and cut the dough.
Place dough onto a clean, well-floured surface. Gently, form into a ball, then pat out with your hands to approximately 3/4″ in thickness. Fold the dough over once, then roll or flatten to approximately 3/4″ in thickness. Do not knead the dough or it will make the scones tough.
With sharp cutters, cut out scones. Use whatever size you prefer; larger or smaller.
Prepare to Bake
Place on silicone baking mat or parchment lined baking tray. Gently knead scraps together and repeat until dough is finished, (make a “runt” with the remaining little bit of dough). Don’t worry about cracks and imperfections in your scones.
Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the remaining egg/buttermilk mixture.
Bake the Scones
Place in middle of preheated oven for about 9 minutes, then turn tray and continue to bake for another 9 minutes or until the afternoon tea scones look golden brown on top.
Meanwhile, cleanup is super easy if you have one of these little pastry scrapers!
Remove from oven, and tray, then place in a towel lined basket, or cooling rack if you wish to serve them on a plate.
How to Serve Afternoon Tea Scones
There are several ways to serve scones, but the most traditional is with raspberry jam and clotted cream or Double Devon Cream; and since the latter two are hard to come by in the US, freshly whipped cream (no sugar added). Please do me a huge favor and do not ever serve these with any non-dairy whipped topping!
If using fresh whipping cream, whip until thick (an organic cream with no added ingredients will taste best).
Use homemade or good quality jam, such as this one from Scotland. Strawberry jam is perfectly acceptable, as is raspberry jam, or blackcurrant, etc.
Next, make a pot of tea.
Before I write this next step, I must say that England has one of the most heated debates regarding whether one should put jam first, then cream or vice versa, when eating a scone.
The Jam First or Cream First Debate.
If you want to read the arguments for and against each position, you are more than welcome. To me, it depends on the type of cream one is using. A thick clotted cream can easily go on first, but if you’re using whipped cream, then that just has to go on top of the jam, otherwise, there will be a big mess!
How to Pronounce the Word “Scone”. It depends!
There is another debate regarding scones, which is over the pronunciation of the actual word. Coming from Scotland, I pronounce “scone” as if it rhymes with “gone.” Parts of England also pronounce it this way, but then other parts say, “skown” (rhyming with own). The whole debate is actually quite interesting.
Tea’s ready!
Milk only; never put cream in tea.
And we are ready to serve the afternoon tea scones. Oh my, afternoon tea is just so civilized, and delicious!
If you’re being more formal, just take a little jam and cream (from your plate, never directly from the serving bowls) and put it on a part of a scone. Take a bite and repeat.
Enjoy!
And here’s how to make a “proper” cup of British tea!
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Afternoon Tea Scones
This recipe produces a lovely, light scone, typical of those served at afternoon teas all across the UK.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (70 g) salted butter (cold)
- one egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) + 1 tbsp buttermilk
- (1/4 cup (40 g) raisins or currants, optional)
- Cream and jam to serve
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400ºF (205ºC)
- In a bowl, place the dry ingredients. Mix lightly to combine.
- In a measuring jug, put the buttermilk (including the 1 tbsp.) Beat the egg in a small bowl, then pour into the buttermilk. Stir to combine.
- Place the butter in the center of the dry ingredients and cut with a knife into about 16 pieces. Next, take another knife, or pastry blender and cut/mix the butter into the flour until resembles coarse crumbs, finishing off the pastry using your hands once the pieces have become quite small.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and buttermilk, (reserving one tablespoon of liquid in the jug).
- Mix gently with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, just about 10 seconds. (If you are adding dried fruit or any additions, add it now.)
- Place dough onto a clean, well-floured surface. Form into a ball, then pat out to approximately 3/4″ in thickness. Do not knead the dough or it will make the scones tough. With sharp cutters, cut out scones and place on silicone baking mat or parchment lined baking tray. Gently knead scraps together and repeat until dough is finished, (make a “runt” with the remaining little bit of dough).
- Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the remaining egg/buttermilk mixture.
- Place in middle of preheated oven for about 9 minutes, then turn tray 180º and continue to bake for another 9 minutes or until scones look golden brown on top.
- Remove from oven, and place in a towel lined basket, or on a cooling rack if you wish to serve them on a plate. Serve with butter, or real cream and jam.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 442Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 290mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 4gSugar: 38gProtein: 7g
Omgosh thank you for this! I once went to tea time here in Hawaii and the scones were amazing, unlike anything American made. I couldn’t even find what the cream was until seeing this. I’m so excited to try this recipe out and have my own tea time.
Made these scones today following the printable recipe… unfortunately the recipe is missing the optional step to add in currants, and I didn’t realize they were missing until I was about to put the scones in the oven! Super disappointed as I love currant scones, and thought they would be nice to make for Mother’s Day. Oh well, next time!
Recipe was otherwise easy to follow and scones turned out well. Great with some homemade strawberry jam, all that was missing was clotted cream!
Oh no! I’m so sorry! I’ll go fix it now! No one’s ever caught that in the past, so thank you and so sorry for the ommission! Glad you liked them, though! Maybe next time you’ll have clotted cream, too! :) Thank you!
I just fixed the printable recipe card, you were correct, that step was missing, however it was in the step by step recipe in my post (but still my fault that it wasn’t in the one most people will use.) Thanks again for letting me know.
Ok I need help. My scones turned out like bricks. They didn’t puff up at all. What am I doing wrong? I tried to follow the recipe exactly and tried not to over mix.
Hi Liz, sorry to hear that. If they turned out like bricks then something is definitely awry. I would guess that maybe you measured something wrong and/or your raising agent isn’t fresh? Without seeing what you did, it’s hard for me to help, tbh. Can you offer any more information?
I never add posts to recipes, but in this one case I had to. These were the very best scones I’ve ever had and I’ve had high tea all over the world, including in London last month. I’ll be sharing this recipe for sure.
This is one of the loveliest comments I’ve ever received, Nicole! Thank you! My one and only request is that you share the link to my recipe (please don’t copy and paste it to share.) Thanks again! <3
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Christina- I made these scones today. Success. Thanks to your well thought out recipe. After many attempts and flops following various recipes, you raised the bar . What gives? Proof is in the taste, texture
(nice crust on the outside and soft moist inside), temperature. (others bake at 425 but 400 it is!)They are reminiscent of the scones we had in Devon UK , the moor land of scones and cream. I made clotted cream and used the remaining liquid for buttercream. It does rise more! And I appreciate you putting all your heart to sharing bonus tips. Lord bless you💕
Oh what a lovely review! Thank you so much for your kind words, Cha; I truly appreciate them! THANK YOU and so happy you enjoyed them! Happy baking!
Hi Christina,
You were not kidding in saying they are the best scones! These scones are truly the best. I lived in England and worked in fancy afternoon tea shops and hotels serving afternoon tea and these scones are better. Thanks for sharing the recipes.
How wonderful to hear this, Xena! I’m elated that you have compared them to proper scones in the UK and the pass the test for you! :) Thank you so much and I hope you find some other British recipes to enjoy! CC
Thank you for your detailed recipe. I made these today with the gram measurements and raisins and they turned out “perfect.” I followed the recipe as you wrote them, just cut them into smaller scones, and they still baked up in the same time. I am Canadian and enjoyed cream tea in Scotland recently, and was missing it. I had some fresh homemade Saskatoon jam (similar to blueberry, but better IMO) and was looking forward to fresh scones and whipped cream to enjoy it with! Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much for your comment, Karin! I’m so happy you liked the scones! I have never heard of Saskatoon jam, but will have to look out for it when I come to Canada! Thanks again and hope you enjoy them many more times! :) CC
Hi Christina,
I am so looking forward to trying this recipe out! I have a quick question for you about making ahead — I just want to make the dough one day ahead of time and bake fresh the next morning. Would this keep okay in the fridge rather than freezer? Would you recommend cutting the scones first, then refrigerating, or can the dough be refrigerated in a ball?
Thanks SO much!
Sam
Oh goodness, Samantha, I have no idea! I’ve never refrigerated the dough, so I don’t know what to tell you. My gut is to keep it in a ball and sealed to keep it from drying out and then let it come to room temperature before rolling. I honestly wouldn’t take a chance though, if it was me as they may not turn out as well. The dough is so quick to make, maybe reconsider making them either fresh or freezing the cut scones? Good luck!
I haven’t made them just yet, but they are on my ‘to bake’ list. I wanted to comment on your comment about a blogger “stealing” your idea of cutting the butter in the flour with 2 knifes. I have been doing that for ever, it wasn’t until I got to the US some 10 years ago that i learned of a pastry blender or rubbing the butter between your fingers.
That’s not what she copied, everyone does that and it’s not my idea whatsoever. However, I’ve never seen anyone have a recipe where they say to reserve a bit of the egg/milk to glaze the top. I started doing that after making the scones many times. It’s obvious to everyone that she used someone else’s recipe because she didn’t even know what a scone was, went to the UK, came back to the US and all of a sudden made scones out of the blue? Not right. She should give credit to wherever it was that she got the recipe.
Um, Mary Berry has included that bit about reserving some of the egg/milk mixture for glazing, in her recipes for decades. I first used a recipe with this method when I was about 12 ,and I am in my mid forties now. It was in the Scottish Milk Marketing Board recipe books from the 1970s , so she might not have copied you.
Okay, I didnt know that, so thank you, Ejay. Here’s the thing though, this American blogger had no clue what scones were until she went to the UK, so the chances that she has ever seen a Scottish Milk Marketing board cookbook from the 70s or a Mary Berry recipe is slim to none. Her recipe is a disaster anyway as so many of the comments say how they don’t turn out, so hopefully karma will do her in. She definitely copied SOMEONE. Thanks again, CC
Lovely recipe.
But I do have to say , my mother was brushing her scones with milk and egg in the sixties. I suppose you can own the part about ‘ reserve 1 tbsp’.
Or maybe I grew up thinking most people do this.
Keep well
I totally understand your perspective, but the person in question had no clue about scones, flew to England, flew home and all of a sudden had her own recipe for them without any credit to anyone or anything. Hmmm, must be an absolute genius to be able to accomplish that, don’t you agree?
Hi Christina,
I’m so happy I found your recipe. I just came back from my honeymoon in the UK and am terribly sad the US doesn’t do afternoon tea! I made the scones for my husband for his birthday and they tasted great. However, they seemed less fluffy than you’d. I used quality ingredients (organic), new baking powder, and measured the flour on a scale. I reread your post and thought maybe I put them too far apart on the baking sheet. Is there anything else I could have done wrong that would result in flatter scones? I’m wondering if my biscuit cutters weren’t sharp enough? I will definitely try again. They’re delicious!
Yay! That’s awesome, Elle. Maybe you worked the dough too much? If that was your first time, I think you’ll just get better with each time you make them. Let me know if that helps and yes, sharp cutters to make a difference, too! CC
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Hi,
I am desperate for real English scones which I can’t find in the part of US i am in. I tried making in but could not get the dough to the right consistency. It came out very sticky like chewing gum texture. Any idea where I went wrong? This is not the first time it has happened to me with other dough recipes :(
Did you use a scale, Yin? That would be the first thing I would recommend.
Hi Christina,
I adore all scones. I will make these tomorrow for my twin grandsons.
I was introduced to the pronunciation of scones as long ‘o’ and find it difficult to say it with the short ‘o’.
I love them just plain, with sorry an expresso. I guess that’s the Italian in me.
My Nonna used to make a potato like doughnut, using yeast, like the zippoli my mother in law makes.
Unfortunately, there is no written recipe and my mom doesn’t remember.
Do you happen to have one? I would love to make them for Easter.
Thanks.
I’m sure you know from your Zia in Malpe, that we had snow today.
It snow covered trees looked beautiful in the morning, but by afternoon it was wet, dark, damp and cold!
More snow for tomorrow! Real April Fools to us in Woodbridge and surrounding areas!
We hope the spring weather
No worries, there are two ways to say scones, so as long as you’re understood! :) I will try to get the doughnut recipe for you, as I know the ones you’re talking about (they’re awesome)! Yes, heard from my cousin about the snow, so sorry spring is taking forever to arrive! Hope the weather warms soon! :)
check asianjournal.ca for afternoon-tea-scones. It is almost word for word.
That is absolutely disgusting. You are correct, they’ve stolen my recipe, but to add to it, they’ve also stolen the image from Waitrose.com! Some chef!! Thanks for the heads up.
Interestingly, my (N. Ireland) grandmother’s English Tea scone recipe was different in that it used baking power vs. soda and melted butter: : ¼ cup melted butter, 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp soda, 1 beaten egg, approx. ½ cup buttermilk. Mix, roll out ½” thick, cut in circles w/ donut cutter, then griddle both sides & edges. And, yes, she often added black currants! What do you think the difference is, Christina???
My grandmother’s (similar recipe cooked on a hot griddle) soda scones we grew up knowing as Soda bread….pretty similar to your recipe. still make it on occasion. Have also researched and found it called Soda Farls, altho’ I believe ‘farl’ is also a term for that triangular shape.
And I grew up on and still make what my family called potato bread….and your recipe called potato scones (very interesting!!) However I do NOT recommend mashing potatoes but ricing (went from a 30-yr old metal ricer to this ergonomically tested/highly rated by America’s Test Kitchens :https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/rsvp-potato-ricer/1045962844?keyword=potato-ricer )
BTW what started me googling this & digging out my gramdmother’s English Tea Scone recipe was watching Queen Elizabeth on Netflix in The Crown eating what appeared to be a small round scone while having tea with Jackie Kennedy. :)
Oh your grandmother’s recipe sounds like girdle scones! Only I wonder if she added currants (not blackcurrants as that wasn’t really done)? Here is my Girdle Scone recipe–see what you think.
Maybe you missed it, but I have a potato ricer on my potato scone recipe and recommend ricing the potatoes, too. I loved the Crown! You must love Downton Abbey, too, right? :) Thanks for your note, Linda!
The texture /moistness is perfect – though I used 1/4 c less flour and 1 TBSP more butter. However without butter and jam they have no flavor at all.
Hi Cristina
I think i added too much flour to my scones. is that 284g flour in total or 284g for 1 cup? Therefore 2 x 284g?
Thanks
Hi Silvia, it’s 2 cups OR 284g (they should be the same, but weighing is always the best way). I hope you didn’t double it?! Christina
Gosh, i did double it and found myself having a good battle with the dough :-) Thanks so much, will be making them again today.
Oh no! I wish I didn’t have to include cups, but sadly, so many US kitchens do not have a scale! It’s just not nearly as accurate for baking (to use cups). I’m sure they’ll be good if you don’t double the flour, Sylvia. Let me know!
Thanks Christina. Im from South Africa so not even sure what the exact measurement would be but the grams are definitely helpful. I made them again last night and OH MY they are delicious!!! These are going to be famous in my house.
Sorry, I missed your comment, Cat. Not sure why you changed the recipe, but regarding the flavor, I’d recommend you use really good quality ingredients if the scones are flavorless. However, plain scones are not something that bursts with flavor–by nature they are meant to be a vehicle for jam and cream to be their crowning glory. Not sure what you’re looking for. CC
Hi again, Silvia! Oh I’m so glad! Thank you for letting me know! Enjoy! CC
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Hi Christina, first of all, thank you for putting weights in for the ingredients. I’m often searching for something different to bake and get disappointed when ingredients are marked as cups.
I’m baking these scones this afternoon. Jennie in the UK.
Hi Jennie, if I had a choice, I would never have cups in baking recipes. They are so inaccurate for baking and then people leave me bad reviews when the recipe doesn’t turn out correctly. You’ll love these scones, I’m sure! Enjoy and thanks for your note! CC
Hi just going away to try these scones and just wondered if that was strong bread flour you use as you dont get king arthur here as i am in scotland and not sure of your measurements as its always grams i use any chance u tell me what it is in grams much appreciated they look so good thanks
Hi Karen, just use plain flour. I’ve changed the ounces to grams as that’s been something I’ve been meaning to do across the board on my recipes. Enjoy them! I’m envious that you will have them with delicious Scottish cream!! :) CC
Could I use milk kefir in place of butter milk?
I’ve never tried that, Alessa, but I’m guessing you could. Let me know if you give it a go. CC
I just made these and they turned out really nice, well maybe not as nice as the photo but they taste great. I added sultanas and these taste better than the ones I usually make from the Be-Ro book. Thanks for the recipe Christina.
Oh that’s good to hear, Margaret! Glad you liked them :)
I made these today, they were amazing. They will be a weekly addition in our home.
Woo hoo! Love to hear that, Julie! Thanks so much for letting me know. I truly appreciate you taking the time to do so! CC
Hi! Loved your recipe! Just what I was looking for. Question though, what’s your process of baking from the freezer? Do you let it thaw out first? Or give it a longer bake? Or let it warm up with the oven and then bake?
Thank you!
Great! Glad you liked them, Hillary. Actually, they almost take the same amount of time to bake from frozen, just a bit longer. You can also defrost them. They’re not fickle! :) Enjoy!
Hello Christina, came across this while looking for the hairy bikers who you probably know about. my old mum and hers always put a few glazed cherries in the scones. .have you tried cheddar and black pepper in your scones great with chutney yes weird lot us English I know. Cheers Christina I will return thanks again.
Yes, of course, I know the Hairy Bikers! I actually have never made savoury scones, but cheese scones are definitely on my baking list! Thanks, Micky! Enjoy my recipes!
My husband and I just returned from England, and I’ve been yearning for some authentic scones ever since our return home. I found your recipe and have made them twice already – everyone loves them! And I finally have a go-to authentic recipe. :) Thank you so much!
Fabulous to hear, Kate! So glad you brought home one of Britain’s best traditions and carrying it on in your home! Thank you for letting me know you love the scones :) CC
Hi. I found this via Pinterest and couldn’t have been happier. My daughter ( a scone lover) says this is the best one I’ve made. They’re light and rose beautifully. Did collapse a little when stored.
The one negative was that we commented on a baking powder taste to it. Could it just be the brand I’m using (We live in Bombay). Would it be ok to reduce to 1 tsp?
Oh dear, it should not taste of baking powder, so yes, maybe yours is much stronger. Reduce to 1 tsp and see if that’s better, Anita. Glad you liked them otherwise! :)
Absolutely perfect! Loved reading, the recipe, everything down to the pronunciation! I’ve been a”sc-gone” girl for 50 years! Jam first, then cream. I loved everything about the story and your recipe is divine. I’m ready to bake and for a couple of these beautiful scones with a large cuppa!
Oh thank you so much, Elizabeth! That’s so kind of you! I’m happy you enjoyed my long-winded post! ;) Enjoy the scones; I’d love to join you if I could! CC
Can you help with how I can tell if the scones are baked throughout? I know you said 18 minutes in total, but everyone’s oven is different. To be on the safe side, I always check by cutting one in half, in case they’re under baked and gummy.
Lastly, I only have plain 0% Greek yogurt and vinegar, but no fresh lemons to make buttermilk.
Thanks
Hi Ann, you’re correct about the oven situation being different for everyone. First of all, they should be a little golden brown on top. Second, one big trick I’ve learned is to use my nose! When you start to smell the scones (or cake or whatever you’re baking) then it’s getting close to being ready. Third, I’d check the bottom to see that they are brown also, however, after 18 minutes, if your scones are raw and gummy inside, I think you need to invest in a oven thermometer or get your oven checked as that’s simply a long time to have them be raw. And lastly, your method of cutting one open is most assuredly the best way (use the runt). :)
You don’t have any milk at all? I think the greek yogurt in place of the milk will change the consistency of the dough and ultimately the outcome of the scones. Maybe try to water down the yogurt and a dash of vinegar, but I can’t tell you how they’ll turn out this way. Good luck!
I feel like I’m blind but I don’t see where you have posted what temperature to set the oven, it just says “in a preheated oven”
Hi Shelley, no, you’re not blind! The temperature is listed on the recipe in the main part of the post, but somehow it didn’t get transferred to the printable recipe! So sorry. I’ve fixed it now. Enjoy the scones! Christina
Oh good! Thank you so much! I am looking forward to trying these.
You’ll love them, Shelley! Let me know how they turn out!
Thank you for this lovely recipe and post. Ever since my first cream tea on a visit to England 30 years ago, I have tried to replicate a perfect scone and clotted cream to match my memory. I remember that all of the dairy products were incredible, which is a big part of the deliciousness of cream tea: beautiful butter in the scone, a dash of high quality milk in the tea and luscious clotted cream on the scone. During my early experiments, it was hard to find really good butter or milk and impossible to find clotted cream. Thankfully these products are now more readily available in California AND I found YOUR recipe. Your scones are perfect and I love your suggestion to set aside a spoon of the egg/milk to glaze the scones, because it gave a lovely sheen to the finished scone. Every other scone has been too sweet or too rich or not light enough. These were perfect. I paired them with a perfect cup of tea, som Devon cream (care of Amazon) and homemade plum jam from my mum! Next I plan to make clotted cream at home from some local cream from grass fed cows because it’s so expensive by mail and often doesn’t arrive in fresh pristine condition. This recipe goes into the permanent file!!
Your comment has made my day, Christine! Love to be able to help others with recipes they long for (because I know exactly what that feels like)! So happy you found it and sounds like you’ve got the perfect accompaniments with your mum’s jam and Devon cream! Wish I could join you! Thank you so much, and hope you enjoy more of my recipes. CC
Hi Christina,
Thanks for sharing this recipe!! It is wonderful!
I love the subtle salty taste with pinch of salt added! They are soft, buttery and flaky as well.
*On a side note, I have also substituted 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour for low protein flour and added 1 tsp of vanilla essence.
Happy to hear it, Ee! They are lovely scones, enjoy!
Hello Christina, I have never commented on a recipe from a website before but I thought this recipe deserved a quick note of recognition. I’ve made your scones about a dozen times now, they are an absolute family favorite and my go-to when hosting a tea. I’m from the US and lived in Australia for a few years where their scones seem very similar to these and I couldn’t get enough of them. So when we moved back I went in search of a solid scone recipe and found yours. Thank you for posting this amazing recipe and with such detailed pictures.
Quick question, have you ever used almond milk for the buttermilk? Half of my family has a dairy allergy and I know they would love to try these delicious scones.
Oh you are so sweet, Michelle! Thank you so much for taking time to write this comment, I really appreciate it! So glad you and your family enjoy them.
To answer your question about the almond milk, I have not tried it because my daughter is allergic to tree nuts. Although she’s not allergic to almonds (they are not tree nuts) I’m afraid of contamination with other nuts, so we just avoid them. I would say give it a go one time. I think they would turn out as there is still the egg and baking powder to help them rise, but the buttermilk just helps them to rise even more. Let me know if you try and thanks again!! Happy scone making! CC
Just a little comment…. I have my Great Grandmother’s handwritten scone recipe (Scottish) dated 1909. She notes to reserve two tbsp of liquid to glaze the scones before baking. Another blogger didn’t plagiarize you. It was being done more than 99 years ago.
I didn’t mean to insinuate that I am the first person to EVER do this. I have never seen it in any scone recipe that I’ve personally seen and I’ve seen a lot. I can almost guarantee this woman did copy this from my site because it’s not just this that she’s copied. :(
Love your site !!! Want to pass along a tip I read concerning using cutters for biscuits. It said ” when cutting out your dough, just cut straight down & then up”. By NOT twisting the cutter in this process, it will make the biscuit rise higher. Apparently not sealing the cut edge. Have you heard of this? Would appreciate your comment. Thanks, Nancy
Yes! It’s true, Nancy and I guess I never thought to put that in, but I can edit my recipe to add this. The dough is easy enough to cut just going down, but I suppose if people don’t know they might twist in the process. Thanks for your comment! :)
My husband is from the UK and we met in the US when I discovered your website. It has been a blessing with all your recipes making it easy for me to make some of his favorites like Scottish eggs etc. We have recently moved to the UK and are currently buying a house up in Scotland near the Dundee area so I have referred to your recipes a lot. My mother-in-law is very jealous and tries to tell me you don’t know what you are talking about because you live in the US now despite telling her of your acknowledgements etc so I continue to cook using a lot of your recipes and tell her nope its not from “Christina” until afterwards when she says how delicious they are. Thank you so much for helping me to bring some Scottish cooking among my family again we ALL love your recipes and you make it so easy and fun to make!!!
Wendy, I can’t thank you enough for your note! You’ve made my day (and I’m in Como, so that’s saying something)! Love that you love my recipes despite your MIL 😂 Thank you!
I keep forgetting to tell you I made these for the wedding last month. I got up at the crack of dawn…literally. I even made clotted cream to go with them. They were a huge hit, I just wish my waistline would let me do that every week!
Me too!! So unfair, right? :(
Hi Christina
I chanced upon your blog and saw the amazing scones and thought I am going to try to bake these for the first time as I have buttermilk at home . Can I use self raising flour and omit the baking powder instead ? Thanks !!!
That should totally work, Carole! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Christina,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been trying to make these in the US for years, and have always ended up with hockey pucks! Yuck! But today I baked these and they were glorious! With much gratitude from a South African in the US. xx
Yippee! Love to get these messages, Janine! So happy to hear it because I know what it feels like to finally be able to make something you’ve always failed at. It’s almost always a bad recipe and not your fault when this happens. Hope you find more recipes to enjoy on my site. Thanks so much for the lovely review. :) CC
Hey! scones taste really good, I made them a couple of times. Though they didn’t look as good as yours still they were pretty good in taste. Thanks, for sharing the recipe!!
Fantastic, Martha! The taste is the more important thing; happy to share! You’re very welcome!
Christina, I made your recipe instead of my old one for the wedding. We liked the lightness inside. I will make them again, thanks!
Marvelous, Nancy! Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them and that they’ll be a recipe you’ll use in future! :)
Excellent scones – not too sweet , rose well , and were devoured before a photo could be taken -I didn’t have buttermilk , so used your trick of lemon in the milk. I also liked your glazing idea – thank you Christina ( not sure why it
wont let me rate it 5⭐️ Because it deserves it )
I’m sorry, Myrto, you’re not the first person to tell me that you couldn’t give a 5 star rating :( I’ll add 5 stars so that it will at least average out to 4.5.
SO glad you loved the scones! Thank you so much for your lovely review! :)