Scones – a simple recipe for the British biscuit I’ll never have tea without again

You’ve probably heard of teatime! Even though I’ve now learned that teatime isn’t necessarily in the afternoon but can actually refer to dinner even… I’m just as confused as you! There’s an article explaining the whole teatime thing! Afternoon tea is the more appropriate name for what we non-Brits think about when we hear the word teatime! It is usually enjoyed with sandwiches, scones and some sweets. In that particular order!

Never in my life did I drink this much tea! And there’s no going back I’m afraid. And since they don’t sell freshly baked scones in Germany I had to learn how to make them myself! And you should too!

Scones are usually enjoyed with clotted cream and some jam! Even here in Scotland, clotted cream is not that easy to find. There is just one brand in the supermarket and it’s usually out of stock. I like to substitute it with extra thick cream. The scones themselves don’t have to be plain either. They’re often found with fruits like raisins or with chocolate chips. There’s even a savoury version with some cheddar in the dough. I will link to some varieties to try below the recipe.

But let’s start preparing the dough!

The beginning is really similar to making a pie crust! Combine all the dry ingredient in a bowl and cut the butter in cubes. Using your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles damp sand.

Now add the milk and bring everything together. You don’t have to mix it much. Just use your hands again, make sure that the milk is incorporated evenly and pat the dough to a 1-inch high disc.

Use a glass or round cookie cutter to cut the scones. Place them on a baking tray. You don’t have to leave as much space as in the picture. You can also bake them right next to each other as they just rise in height. The dough also freezes well if you want to prepare some in advance, just bake them from frozen. Bake them for around 15 minutes at 220°C (430°F). Don’t forget to egg wash the scones before baking them (like me).

Why not try these variations?

Rhubarb Scones

Carrot Cake Scones

Vanilla Hazelnut Scones

Bacon Cheddar Scones

Banana Bread Scones

Once I’m back home, I’ll definitely have friends over for an afternoon tea!

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