Scottish potato scones (tattie scones) are a quintessential part of a full Scottish breakfast. You’ll see how easy they are to make, and learn all about British Breakfasts, too.
If you’ve gone to Britain, you will surely have experienced “the full British breakfast.” Depending on which part of the UK you’ve visited will determine what you see on your plate.
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What is a British Breakfast?
It’s often called a “fry-up” because of the fact that almost everything is fried. It may also be called “heart attack on a plate,” but as long as you are not having this on a regular basis, it’s just too delicious to pass up once in a while!
Sometimes, you may hear the term, “a full English”, which refers to a full English breakfast. This means that all the options will be on your plate. Read on…
In Great Britain, breakfast will consist of several common items, such as eggs, bacon, tomato, toast and beans. The rest of the plate will be filled with different items, depending on the part of the country in which you are located.
English Breakfast
England offers their regional sausages and usually adds mushrooms to the plate. Sometimes, black pudding is included in the options (usually more in the north of England, although the photo below is from London).
Irish Breakfast
Northern Ireland has their Ulster Fry with local sausages and soda scones. My dad was stationed in Ballymena when he was in the army (as a cook, no less) and has always raved about the soda scones. Ireland’s breakfasts are much the same and can include “potato farls” much like potato scones, and white and black pudding.
Welsh Breakfast
Although I’ve been to Wales, I’ve never had a typical Welsh breakfast (I do love Welsh cakes, though!) In addition to the basics of a British breakfast, the Welsh add laverbread (made from seaweed) and cockles on their breakfast plates. Have you tried this breakfast?
Another type of Scottish scone made on a griddle: girdle scones
Scottish Breakfast
And last, but certainly not least, Scotland serves potato scones (also known as tattie scones), local sausages, and black and/or white puddings. I’m showing my bias here and saying that I think Scottish breakfasts are the best in Britain. This photo was taken at Rufflet’s, just outside St. Andrews.
So now that we’ve decided on a Scottish breakfast (and that the Highland cow is the cutest!) I’m going to show you how to make delicious potato scones. Like so many of the recipes I make, they are quite simple to make and freeze well, so I usually make a double batch and freeze* most of them, so I can cook some whenever we want them.
As far as the black and white puddings go, I’ll leave that for you to decide if you want to try it (if you can find it where you live) as I ABSOLUTELY adore black pudding, but I understand if someone has not grown up with it, why they might have a less than positive feeling about it.
I was going to link to Wikipedia’s page on black pudding, but the first photo of black pudding isn’t the most appealing image that would encourage someone to try this tasty food!
Are Potato Scones the Same as Potato Cakes?
The answer to this question is yes, they are the same: potato scones are the Scottish name and potato cakes are the Irish name, but they are BOTH served as part of a savory meal, like breakfast. In addition, potato scones can also be eaten with butter (even jam) and served with a cup of tea.
How are Tattie Scones Made?
Potato scones are made from mixing boiled, riced (or mashed) potatoes, a little butter, salt, and flour. These ingredients are combined to form a dough, then rolled out, and cooked on a griddle. You may hear them called “tattie scones” in Scotland, but they are one and the same, and here’s how to make them.
*NOTE: you can use leftover mashed potatoes as long as they’re quite dry. It won’t work if you’ve added too much liquid.
You may also ask~
How do I Cook Potato Scones?
After being cooked on the griddle (no oil, butter or grease is added, so they are not fried), they can be eaten as is. However, as you’ve seen in the photos here, the best way to serve them is to fry them with the rest of your breakfast items (preferably after you’ve fried the bacon!) This way, they are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Can I Freeze Potato Scones?
Absolutely yes, tattie scones are perfect for the freezer! I usually make a large batch and freeze all of them. They’re perfect to have on hand anytime you want a quick meal, just add eggs, if you like. To freeze: place them individually separated on a floured tray in the freezer until frozen, then place in a freezer bag. This way they won’t stick to each other. Alternately, you can put them in a container with pieces of wax/parchment paper in between them.
To cook frozen potato scones, there’s no need to defrost them, you can just fry them straight away. However, I usually take them out of the freezer about for about 10 minutes though, so they cook more quickly.
Scottish Potato Scones Recipe
(Tattie Scones)
From the Scottish Lofty Peak Recipe Book Serves 10 (2 each)
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
- russet potatoes
- flour
- butter
- sea salt
Special equipment: a potato ricer
First, peel the boiled potatoes.
If you absolutely refuse to peel boiled potatoes, you can make your children do it peel them before boiling. Use a potato ricer, if you have one. If not, just mash them, but what makes better potato scones is having light, dry potatoes, and ricing them gives them more air.
Add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes at this point, add more salt if needed, then very lightly mix in the sifted flour.
It will come together into a dough very quickly and easily. Turn out onto a floured workspace…
and gently fold over until smooth. Divide into 4 or 5 equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll one ball out to about 1/4″ thick, then prick with a fork and cut into quarters or sixths, whichever you prefer, with a large knife. Repeat with the rest of the balls of dough.
Heat a pan or griddle to (almost) high heat (between med. high and high.) I love my scraper for
picking up the scones to put into the pan.
When the pan is hot, cook the scones until brown on each side. (You can cut them into round shapes with a cookie cutter, but this takes more time to rework the scraps of dough.)
Place on a clean dish towel, then cover with the other half to cool.
These are fully cooked and may be eaten as is, but traditionally, they are fried in the same pan as the bacon was fried in, for a Scottish breakfast.
You can also toast them to heat them up, or even fry them with a tiny bit of light olive oil for a crispy, yet less artery-clogging breakfast :) You can also just have eggs, bacon and toast with potato scones, as I’ve done in the photo below.
Or you can do it “right” and serve the potato scones with eggs, bacon, toast, black pudding (this one is really good), grilled tomato halves, sausages, Heinz Beans, HP Sauce a piping hot cup of tea. You can add any of the other delicious items you see in the photos above: delicious beyond words!
Oh, and did I mention you won’t be eating lunch or dinner that day? 😂
Leave a comment below if you agree that Scottish breakfasts are the BEST!!
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Scottish Potato Scones and British Breakfasts: a Tutorial
A traditional part of a full Scottish breakfast. Mostly made with mashed potatoes, these scones are a potato lover's dream come true.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453 g) boiled Russet potatoes (see notes)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) flour, sifted
- 1/4 stick butter (28 g) softened, good quality butter
- 1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- First, peel the boiled potatoes. If you absolutely refuse to peel boiled potatoes, you can peel them before boiling. If you have a ricer, use it to rice the potatoes, if not, just mash them, but what makes better potato scones is light, dry potatoes, and ricing them gives them more air.
- Add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes at this point, add more salt if needed, then very lightly mix in the sifted flour. It will come together into a dough very quickly and easily. Turn out onto a floured workspace and gently fold over until smooth.
- Divide into 4 or 5 equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll one ball out to about 1/4″ thick, then prick with a fork and cut into quarters or sixths, whichever you prefer, with a large knife. Repeat with the rest of the balls of dough.
- Heat a pan or griddle to (almost) high heat (between med. high and high.) When the pan is hot, cook the scones until brown on each side. Place on a clean dish towel, then cover with the other half to cool.
- These are fully cooked and may be eaten as is, but traditionally, they are fried in the same pan as the bacon was fried in, for a Scottish breakfast. If you are going to freeze these, place them on a floured tray in the freezer until frozen, then place in a freezer bag, this way they won’t stick to each other. Alternately, you can put them in a container with pieces of wax paper in between them.
Notes
- To freeze: place them individually separated on a floured tray in the freezer until frozen, then place in a freezer bag. This way they won't stick to each other. Alternately, you can put them in a container with pieces of wax/parchment paper in between them.
- Potatoes should be weighed after cooking - about 4 large potatoes, cooked in salted water -preferably cooked with the skin.
- To cook frozen potato scones, there's no need to defrost them, you can just fry them straight away. However, I usually take them out of the freezer about for about 10 minutes though, so they cook more quickly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 88Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information is only estimated and is before being cooked/fried a second time.
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I absolutely agree that Scottish breakfasts are the best! And I *LOVE* black pudding! Oh how I wish Stornoway black pudding was exportable to the U.S.!!! I’d have it shipped over directly like I do with Fortnum & Mason Queen Anne tea, if Customs would allow it…LOL! Alas, I will have to wait until my next visit to Scotland to have some more Charles Macleod Stornoway black pudding! In the meantime, I have to settle for a black pudding available at my local specialty shop. (I keep tattie scones & black pudding in my freezer as a staple.)
I agree with all of the above! Thank you so much for stopping by! :) CC
Going to make them today, wish me luck! I always buy them at the Brit. store.??
Good luck, but I don’t think you’ll need it, Catherine. Let me know how they turn out! :)
Totally awesome, i’m from Glasgow where i was brought up on “proper” breakfasts and not many places over here serve these so as such with Scotch Eggs i will be making my own – thanks for the great article – especially the comment “Better than Greggs” – different planet that one…
Thanks again
Thanks, Steve! I have tons of Scottish recipes on here, so have a look under the RECIPE tab and scroll down to SCOTTISH/BRITISH and I’m sure you’ll find other dishes you probably miss! Enjoy! CC
I just returned from a trip to Ireland and Scotland, and I agree a full Scottish is the best, especially if served with haggis! Can’t wait to try these.
LOVE it! Thanks, Dianne- I’m sure you’ll be over the moon with these potato scones!
Jezz oh Christina, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REMINDER OF GOOD FOOD, Sure do miss a chippy like your picture, anyway, tottie scones slapped in Lurpak..Yum, brought up on most your recipes. My daughter requests Scotch Broth soup regularly, and requests I take it round to her for lunch at school. No one knows what it is, however she is a fussy eater so I make it with Chicken breast and dice it up, to me its a result as she eats two or 3 bowls. Now my husband,
the Hispanic, enjoys red lentil soup more especially when fishing in winter he likes to add a little cayenne pepper and says it keeps him warm in winter. lol I’m surprised you don’t have the tablet recipe up.
The memories of food flooding this am after reading and reading and reading your recipes.
I would like to see your versions of vanila slice (school puddings), coffee buns, treacle scones, are just a few, can’t wait to try cream buns and strawberry tarts. Where did you buy the glaze ? and ready made puff pastry ?
Once again have a great day a Scot in Texas.
Oh I’m so happy you found my site! I have many more British and Scottish recipes to come! I bought the Marie’s Strawberry glaze at our local grocery store (Ralph’s/Kroger), but I don’t know if it’s sold outside California or not. Puff pastry can be founds in most grocery stores, too (Pepperidge Farm is a popular brand, although I don’t buy it due to it’s hydrogenated veg. oil). Good luck and stop by again! :) CC
Thank you for this recipe. My mum taught me how to make them years ago. It’s our Scottish Fry Up every Sunday. I plan on going home this summer and showing my kids and husband where my Dads ashes are scattered in Greennock
He played for Morton and his ashes are on that field.
Thanks again!
That will be lovely, Margie. So glad you like the recipe, too! Have a wonderful time this summer, I’m so envious! ;)
Tattie scones! Finally! I thought I came from the only family who love them and make whole holidays around them.
Oh dear, no!! We always have some in the freezer, in fact, my daughter has almost taken over the tattie scone making in our household because she’s mad about them! :)
While there is a lot of Scottish ancestry in my blood, I can’t recall ever tasting these breakfast scones and intend to correct that ASAP! It’s 2 a.m. here on the East Coast, but now I’m hungry! Printing off the recipe right now! Have a safe trip back to Scotland!
Heather, you are a true ‘foodie’! 2 am printing out potato scone recipes! haha! Enjoy them and let me know what you think! CC