Scones are a pastry that many people love but not everyone understands. It depends on where you live as to what a scone really refers to. For instance, English scones are similar to American biscuits and they are often served with butter, clotted cream, or jam. American scones are not usually topped with butter because they have plenty of butter in them, more so than the British scones.
The scones of today or a heavier version that taste sweeter and there are many different versions offered. They are moist and soft inside, a little crumbly around the edges, and flakey. Scones are usually made up of baking powder, so they usually don’t take long to make. They put some people in the mind of biscuits or quick bread and are rolled into shapes that are round then cut into quarters.
Some versions of this pastry are baked in the oven and some are cooked on a griddle. They can be sweet or savory and are normally eaten as breakfast food but are available in coffee houses to eat any time of day with tea or coffee.
Basically, English scones are more similar to America’s version of biscuits and America’s version of scones are heavier, sweeter, and sometimes topped with glaze, confectioner sugar, or vanilla icing. Whether you’re going for a British scone or an American scone, there are many different flavors of freshly baked scones to choose from.
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History of Scones
Scones are believed to have originated it in Scotland as a quickbread and were made with oats and cooked on a griddle but today’s version is usually made with flour and baked in the oven. The origin of the word “Skone” is believed to be Dutch, coming from the word ‘schoonbrot’, which means beautiful bread.
Other people believe that the word scone originated from the Stone of Destiny which is when the Kings of Scotland were crowned and that the people started making scones in Scotland in the early part of the 1500s.
Scones increased in popularity and became a very important part of the ritual of having tea in England with a Duchess or Queen. This ritual began with Duchess of Bedford Anna who once ordered her servants to bring sweetbreads with her afternoon tea which happened to include scones.
She liked them so much that she ordered scones to be served every afternoon and it quickly became part of the English tradition of afternoon tea time every day at 4:00 PM. They’re still served to this very day in Britain with the traditional clotted cream topping.
Scones are definitely more traditionally connected to Scotland, England, and Ireland with the first known mention of the word scone dating back to 1513 when it was printed in the writings of a Scottish poet named Gavin Douglas in his work called The Aeneid.
Though they have many similarities, British and American scones are really very different. British scones are simpler to make since they contain fewer ingredients. American scones are offered in many more flavors than British scones and will more than likely feature a fruit-based filling. British scones with fruit usually feature fruits, such as currants, raisins, and sultanas, which are golden raisins.
American scones are usually designed to be eaten alone since they do boast a sweet topping as discussed above. British scones are much plainer and are created to be topped with things, such as clotted cream, butter, lemon curd, and or different types of preserves.
American scones are often formed into the shapes of wedges or triangles, while their British counterparts are taller, fluffier, and usually round. British scones resemble biscuits in America but American scones require much more butter to create them than the British ones do. American scones also contain more sugar than British scones.
Scones can be created to be sweet or savory and pair well with tea or coffee. They are a great option to serve at a Mother’s Day brunch, a baby or wedding shower, and garner a lot of attention at back sales and other places where coffee and muffins would be served. Below is a list of various types of scones. All are delicious in created to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
Strawberry Scone
Strawberry scones are one of the many flavors offered when it comes to American-style scones. The strawberry filling is delicious and they normally are iced with a delicious glaze for extra deliciousness. You can eat them any time of day or night.
Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Scones
These scones are absolutely delicious and packed with strawberry goodness and rich cream that will leave you wanting more. Be warned, though, you will not be able to eat just one of these delicious scones.
English Scones
In keeping with the tradition of English-style scones, these bake up to be fluffy, tall, and light. You can eat these English-style scones for breakfast or afternoon tea, and they taste great topped with jam, butter, clotted cream, and even simply plain. Since English scones are made differently than American ones, these are very fluffy and soft instead of being stiffer and drier. They are around like biscuits but are not the same.
Savory Scone
Savory scones are different than sweet ones and the fact that ingredients are used in a way to make them great for breakfast lunch or dinner instead of dessert. You can use things like cheddar, bacon, mozzarella cheese, and even feta cheese to make these delicious savory scones.
Butter Scones
Butter scones have a much richer flavor than other types. They are very tasty and can be served with jam or fresh preserves and have more of a bread-like texture.
Peanut Butter
These amazing Peanut Butter Scones are created to resemble a fluffy, soft, thick peanut butter cookie are only takes 30 minutes to bake. They are easy to make and will delight any of the peanut butter lovers in your life.
American Scone
American scones are denser and are shaped into wedges or triangles, unlike the British ones that are taller and rounded. American scone recipes use more butter and sugar than their British counterparts and are therefore sweeter to taste.
Scottish Scones
Scottish scones can be made in a variety of ways. Since scones originated in Scotland, these delicious scones are made with rolled oats which is how they were made back in the 1500s.
Drop Scone
Scottish pancakes are referred to as drop scones. The dough of these scones is placed directly onto the area in which you will be cooking it. These delicious scones are sometimes referred to as “Queen Elizabeth’s drop scones” and they are native to Scotland.
Flaky Scones
Flaky scones are Irish and are very good comfort food. They have an outside crust that is crispy but the inside contains soft and most layers of delicious buttery flavor.
Unbaked Scones
The wonderful thing about scones is that you can make them up ahead of time then put them in the freezer until you are ready to serve them. You simply grab your unbaked scones out of the freezer and pop them in the oven and within a short amount of time you have delicious scones to serve to your guests.
Tattie Scones
Tattie scones are made with mashed potatoes, butter, and plain flour. They are fried up on a griddle and are served hot. You can reheat cold potato scones by frying them in a pan or even toasting them in your toaster.
Cream Scones
Cream scones are very basic scones and you can make them very easily. They contain vanilla, cream, flour, sugar, salt, and a leavening agent and are very tender. These cream treats can be served with butter or fresh preserves and are very delicious.
Clotted Cream Scones
Clotted cream Is very popular in Britain and is served in a little dish with a plate of scones. It is a creamy, thick, white spread that reminds many people of cream cheese but it is sweeter and creamier.
Chocolate Chip Scones
These delicious chocolate chip scones will remind you of the chocolate chip cookie but even better. They taste best when served warm and will leave you and your guests wanting more.
Chocolate Scone
Chocolate scones have an Irish background and or a great treat for any chocolate lover. The chocolate flavor comes from a Dutch-processed cocoa powder that will satisfy any sweet tooth. You can also make double chocolate scones and even triple chocolate scones which includes making the batter with cocoa powder too.
Lemon Scones
Grated lemon zest gives these amazing lemon scones their flavor. They make a great dessert on an afternoon snack paired with a good cup of coffee or tea.
Buttermilk Scones
To make the best tasting scones, you can either use heavy cream or buttermilk to make them. The buttermilk gives a tangier flavor than the heavy cream does but either one of these creams is great for scones because they’ll keep them from turning out to be dry, flat, and bland.
Cranberry Orange Scones
Homemade cranberry orange scones are a very flaky, tender treat. These bright orange scones have pops of color from the juicy cranberries and can be served with an orange glaze on top or a crunchy more coarse sugar.
Sour Cream Scone
Sour cream works well in making scones and will give it a flavor with a little more kick. You can even substitute sour cream for heavy cream in any of your scone recipes.
Pumpkin Scone
Pumpkin scones tend to be more of an American thing because of the pumpkin craze that has riveted the country for several years now but they did originate in Scotland in the 1500s and were made with pumpkin seeds. These scones are soft and flaky in the center with a crisp top and they crumble at the corners.
You can make these buttery scones with a perfect blend of spicy pumpkin or you could pick one up at places like Starbucks during the fall season.
Sundried Tomato Scone
Sun-Dried Tomato Scones are super easy to make and are packed with plenty of savory sun-dried tomatoes and delicious cheddar cheese. These are a great option to serve for lunch or for a brunch with friends.
Dried Fruit Scone
Dried fruit scones or even brandied dried fruit scones, and plenty have warm spicy and citrous flavors throughout your scone and they are perfect to serve at holiday time.
Dried Cranberry Scone
Dried cranberry scones are made with flour, butter, cream, baking soda, orange zest, dried fruit, and you can use honey or sugar to give them their sweet taste. You can use dried cranberries for this type of scone but you can also swap them out for dried cherries, apricots, chocolate chips, raisins, or a combination of several of these.
Plain Scones
Plain scones are really easy to make and do not take a long time period you simply throw some sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt into a food processor, work in a little bit of butter and cream, then shape the dough. They only take about an hour in the oven to bake.
FAQs
What are some tips for making homemade scones?
According to Food & Wine Test Kitchen Manager Kelsey Youngman, there are several things you can do to ensure your scones turn out correctly and delicious.
She said to use cold butter or even frozen butter to give your scones a better rise and to only mix the batter until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix. She also says to use pastry flour so your scones turn out lighter. She also recommends that once you’ve shaped your scones, you chill them before baking.
This will relax the gluten and give you a more tender, flaky texture. You should space your scones at least one inch apart if you have shaped them into wedges but if you are baking round scones, you can place them with their edges touching in a round pan like you would with cinnamon rolls.
She said if you are adding fruit to not use fruit that is too juicy and to make sure you rinse the fruit well before using it. She also recommends not over-baking your scones since they are meant to be paired with butter, jam, or clotted or heavy cream.
How is clotted cream different from cream?
Clotted cream is cream that rises to the surface Anne clients then is skimmed off to serve with berries, a variety of desserts, and scones. The tastiest clotted cream will have a good firm crust on top and be very thick by using butterfat to create it.
What does clotted cream taste like?
Clotted cream has a nutty flavor to it that is rich and tastes a little bit like milk that has been cooked. Its texture is a little grainy, and it has a crested surface on top.
What can I use instead of clotted cream for scones?
If you do not want to use clotted cream with your scones, you can swap it out for cream cheese. It won’t have the same flavor as the clotted cream but it will still taste delicious with your scones.
What is the American equivalent of clotted cream?
The equivalent of clotted cream in the United States would probably be butter because of its high-fat content. Many people use butter instead of clotted cream on their scones.
What are scones called in England?
Scones in England are referred to as scones which are different from scones in America where the same version is referred to as a biscuit. Both are baked by using flour, a liquid cream, fat, and some type of leavening agent.
Do scones have eggs in them?
Scones are different from biscuits in the fact that they have added sugar and eggs. Eggs give scones a much richer taste.
How many calories are in a pumpkin scone?
There are about 450 calories in pumpkin scones in many people pair this delicious treat with a pumpkin spice latte which increases the calorie intake.