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These English scones with light and tender, cake-like crumbs are incredibly quick and easy to make. It’s practically impossible to mess up. You only need 30 minutes!

Confession…

I’ve never liked scones. American scones, that is. They look fantastic, loaded with nuts, fruits and glazed, but they definitely don’t deliver the moist, flaky promises they make. At least, the ones I’ve tried. Granted, I’ve never tried making them myself. Afraid of disappointment, I guess.

Anyway, when we had an Afternoon tea at Savoy in London, we enjoyed the most deliciously moist and tender English scones for our first course. Oh my goodness, I was in love! They were super tender, cake-like and light! We actually had to ask for more scones!

Since then, scones shot right up to the top of my to-bake list. After a few batches of trial and error, I’m finally ready to share with you my findings!

But before we dive into the recipe, let’s rule out a few things.

What’s the difference between British and American scones?

Well, first, the amount of butter. English scones use way less butter than american version, but they are meant to be served with whipped butter, or clotted cream and sweet jam/jelly. And unlike american scones, British scones are smaller in size and doesn’t have hundreds of varieties. You’ll only see plain scones, or with raisins/currants.

Sounds a lot like biscuits, doesn’t it? But there are some differences too.

Biscuits are flakier and crumblier than scones. English scones, on other hand, are quite light, but most importantly, they have delicate cake-like crumbs, that sets them apart from American scones and biscuits.

whole milk for the best flavor and richness, as there is not much fat going on in the batter. Now that we have a full understanding of what we’re getting, let’s talk about how to make english scones. I learned the technique for these scones on Cook’s Illustrated and slightly adapted their recipe. I’m using buttermilk/milk mixture in my batter for the lightest and moistest scones. In a pinch, you could use all milk, but usefor the best flavor and richness, as there is not much fat going on in the batter.

Unlike biscuits, or American scones, we don’t need to use cold butter to create flaky scones. Instead, we will thoroughly incorporate softened butter into the dry flour mixture. This method minimizes the formation of gluten, as fat in the butter coats the flour proteins. Hence, tender, crumbly and light scones are born!

The batter will be a bit sticky, but don’t fret. It’ll be work out beautifully!

I loved serving my scones with sweet whipped butter and jam. My favorites are raspberry jam and apricot jam. My husband prefers strawberry jam though. Either way, they are great!

So have you tried English scones? Which one do you prefer, American scones, British scones, or biscuits?

If you have a trusted recipe for tender (not dry) american scones, please share it with me in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!

English Scones English scones with light and tender, cake-like crumbs are incredibly quick and easy to make. You only need 30 minutes! It's our family's favorite! 5 from 1 vote serves: 16 scones Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Total : 25 minutes Print

Ingredients 2 large eggs at room temperature 2 large eggs at room temperature

½ cup 120ml buttermilk, at room temperature ½ cup 120ml buttermilk, at room temperature

½ cup 120ml whole milk, at room temperature ½ cup 120ml whole milk, at room temperature

3 ½ cups 435gr all-purpose flour 3 ½ cups 435gr all-purpose flour

1/3 cup 65gr sugar 1/3 cup 65gr sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder 2 tablespoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup 75gr unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces 1/3 cup 75gr unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces Sweet whipped butter: ½ cup 115gr unsalted butter, softened ½ cup 115gr unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup 60ml heavy whipping cream ¼ cup 60ml heavy whipping cream

1-2 tablespoons raw honey 1-2 tablespoons raw honey Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result! Instructions To make the scones , preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, or , preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, or silicone mat

In a medium jug, beat the eggs, buttercream and milk. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of mixture.

In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add butter and mix until nice and smooth. ( Tip: Thoroughly coating the flour with butter minimizes the formation of gluten creating tender and light scones.)

Add egg mixture and mix until just combined. The dough will be quite sticky, but don't worry. Transfer the dough onto well-floured surface.

With floured hands, knead the dough to smooth out the surface and flatten it into 1-inch thick disk. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter , cut out as many scones as you can.

Gather the remaining dough and repeat the step #5, until all the dough is used.

Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet, brush on the reserved egg mixture on each scone and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool the scones on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with sweet whipped butter.

To make the sweet whipped butter, beat the butter, heavy cream and honey in a mixing bowl with whisk attachment until nice and fluffy. Nutrition Facts: Serving: 1 scone Calories: 167 kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 26.6 g (9%) Protein: 4.2 g (8%) Fat: 4.9 g (8%) Cholesterol: 34.2 mg (11%) Sodium: 102.5 mg (4%) Sugar: 4.9 g (5%) * Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here. Facebook

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This recipe was originally published on April 22, 2015. Updated with new photos in May, 2018.