We all know that scones hail from across the pond and that the Queen enjoys a scone with a cup of tea in the afternoon. What you may not be so clear on is just what a scone is. We'll help set the record straight: Scones are quick breads, and in the UK, they are generally made with milk and self-rising flour and without eggs. English scones are not glazed or frosted, and they are generally spilt open and spread with butter, but sometimes also with clotted cream and jam (yes please!).
Our scones tend to be richer and more cake-like, usually made with egg and with heavy cream or buttermilk. In the recipes here, you'll see that we make scones with cake flour for a more delicate English-style scone, such as our Rich Cream Scones, but we mostly use all-purpose flour, like in the Scones with Pears, Irish Cheddar, and Honey shown here, which is just one of the things that means scones are so easy to make. Some of our scones recipes go a more healthy route, adding in whole grains like oats or buckwheat flour, making them strong contenders for breakfast. And for a gluten-free scone, be sure to try the lofty quinoa and cranberry scone that uses rice flour and quinoa flakes, along with dried cranberries, for a flavorful and light scone sans the gluten.
Another thing to love about scones? They're quick to make, our fastest recipe takes 30 minutes. The only downside to scones? One tends to lead to another, and they are best enjoyed the day they're made (or freeze leftovers for another day.) Some scones are drop scones, which means they're made with a moister batter and don't require rolling or shaping. That results in a more homespun look. Other scone dough is patted out, formed into a circle then cut into elegant triangle scones. And some scone dough is rolled out, then cut into circles using what we'd call a biscuit cutter (the Brits, of course, say is a scone cutter!). Whichever route you take, when you make scones you're on the way to a quick, easy, and pleasing baked good.
