English Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (2024)

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English scones and clotted cream

This blog post gives you an easy traditional English scones recipe at the bottom of the page for plain or fruit scones. It also tells you a bit more about scones and their tradition.

There is nothing more British than sitting down to a pot of tea with some English scones and clotted cream. Scones are the main component of a British cream tea and afternoon tea, and normally we serve English scones with jam and clotted cream.

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Clotted Cream Tea

Cream tea is the name given to a light meal enjoyed all over the UK and refers to a meal consisting of a pot of tea with some scones, jam and cream. ‘Clotted’ cream tea means that the meal includes clotted cream, as opposed to whipped cream, which can also be used in a cream tea.

Normally the scones are served whole and are broken at the table by hand. The jam and cream are served separately in their own pots or containers.

Cream tea may make up part of afternoon tea, or may be served on its own at any time of the day.

Clotted cream teas are normally served in Cornwall or Devon, in the South West part of the UK.

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Cornish Clotted Cream

I have been going to Cornwall for most of my life on holiday and there they have an extra special type of cream called English ‘clotted cream’.

‘Clotted’ cream may sound disgusting to some of you ( 😃 ), but nothing could be further from the truth.

Real Cornish clotted cream is just divine, and you really cannot beat some good old British scones with clotted cream. They are made for each other.

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Clotted cream is found mainly in Devon and Cornwall in the ‘West Country’, as it is called.

Rodda’s in Cornwall is the largest commercial producer of this product and really if you get the chance to try it, then please do.

It is the real thing. You will love it!

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How to make clotted cream?

You make clotted cream with a special process that creates a thick cream with a very high-fat content. Here is a link showing how you can make your own clotted cream.

Proper clotted cream is delicious and the perfect ingredient for a proper English cream tea.

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Here in Ireland where we live, we do not have easy access to clotted cream so (against the advice of Rodda’s of course!) we have used whipped cream in our photographs.

A useful tip – if you just have a single or double cream available and need to turn it into a thick spreadable cream, try using your Nutribullet. It will whip it up in no time!

NutriBullet Pro – High-Speed BlenderEnglish Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (6)English Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (7)

[Whipped cream is in fact what you will find in most cream teas across the UK.]

In Ireland, scones are also part of the staple diet and are often found on the menu in cafes and restaurants. Over here they tend to be rather more solid than this recipe though, and are normally served with just butter and jam.

Arguments about Scones:

How to pronounce scone

There are a number of things about scones that cause utter disruption across the UK. One of these is the pronunciation of the word ‘scone‘.

Does it rhyme with the word ‘gone’ or ‘bone’? If you google this subject you will indeed find that scone pronunciation remains a very contentious issue. The general feeling is that both pronunciations are correct. But some argue that whichever scones pronunciation you use is geography-related, depending on where you are in the UK. Others think that it is class-related.

I myself believe that it is probably a combination of both. I was born in the South and studied in the North but tend to use the‘gone’ version.

Follow this link ‘the correct way to pronounce scone is scone‘ for an amusing take on this subject.

Jam or clotted cream first?

Another disagreement, as mentioned in the Rodda page, is whether you put the jam or cream on first. In Devon they put the cream on first, whereas in Cornwall they do the opposite. We think the Cornish jam first option is more logical.

And we know that The Queen used to follow the Cornish example, so that should settle the matter 😃!

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How to eat scones?

I must admit to having mistakenly confused the reader with some of these pictures which show the scone sandwiching the jam and cream.

ETIQUETTE ALERT: Beware, this is NOT how to eat a scone!

Firstly the scone should be broken in half by hand, and then the jam and cream is added on top of each other to each half, before eating the two halves separately.

Like this:

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What type of jam to eat with scones and clotted cream?

The type of jam you use in your cream tea is really up to you. Quite often strawberry jam is used but really you can use whatever you prefer.

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English Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (11)

This British scones and clotted cream recipe always reminds me of sitting in the café at the beautiful Lamorna Cove eating a cream tea whilst watching the rain pouring down the windows.

It was just one of the things we would do on a rainy day down in Cornwall. And rainy days, believe me, we had enough every August 😃!

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English Scone Recipe

You can choose, with this Cornish scones recipe, to make plain scones or fruit scones. I have used a mix of dried fruit in some of the scones in these pictures.

I think raisin scones or sultana scones are a bit more interesting than a plain scone, and add something more to the scone, as they can be quite bland on their own. Using a mix of fruits keeps it a bit of a surprise as to what you will get!

And, of course, in the end, the jam and the cream are how you make a traditional English cream tea the icon that it is.

But on the other hand, if you want to eat some scones, but do not fancy making them yourself, or perhaps do not have time, then why not try Seven Sisters Scones, and get them delivered to your door?Seven Sisters Scones have a variety of gourmet scones and gluten-free products and even a subscription service.

Just click on the link or on the picture below:

I hope you enjoy trying this easy recipe. If you do, then please let me know how you get on in the comments section below!

How to make English scones

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English Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (15)

English Scones and clotted cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

This easy scone recipe will enable you to easily produce some real English scones, plain or fruity, for serving up a traditional British cream tea.

Ingredients

  • 500g self-raising flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g salted butter (softened)
  • 300ml milk
  • 1 egg
  • Clotted cream, if you can get it! (or whipped Cream)
  • Jam of your choosing
  • Optional :
  • 50g dried mixed fruit

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
  2. Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Then rub in the butter until fully mixed.
  3. Add the milk bit by bit until you have a dough.
  4. On a floured surface knead the dough carefully until it has an equal consistency. If you wish to have fruit in your scones then add that now to the dough.
  5. Then roll it out to about 1” (25mm) thickness and cut out the dough with a circular cutter.
  6. Place on a pre-floured baking tray. Then glaze with a mixture of egg and milk to give a shiny surface. Then bake in the oven 12 minutes until brown.
  7. Remove from the oven and place on a dish cloth on a wire tray, and cover with the cloth so keep fresh until cooled.

Notes

Serve up with cream and jam in pots and a good old pot of tea. Store in a sealed container.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 376Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 873mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 9g

This nutrition information was automatically calculated by Nutritionix, but may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

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Want to make your own afternoon tea? |Reading this post below will give you more Afternoon tea recipe ideas:

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Cornish Scone Recipe

English Scones and Clotted Cream - an easy tasty recipe to try at home (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good scones? ›

Baking tips for making the perfect scones

The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.

What is the American version of a scone? ›

If you go into an American bakery and ask for a “scone”, you'll get a sweet, fluffy, usually triangular bread product, often with some form of berry baked in. If you go into an American restaurant and order a “biscuit”, you will get a fluffy, savory bread product that you might categorize as a “scone”.

How to eat scones with clotted cream? ›

Scoop out clotted cream and jams onto your plate, enough for one scone. Break apart a small bite-sized portion of scone with your hands or if using a knife, cut the scone horizontally. Use a knife to slather on cream and jam onto the broken-off piece of scone. The bite-sized piece of scone should be eaten in 1-2 bites.

How do Brits eat clotted cream? ›

In the U.K., it's common to serve a dollop of clotted cream with fresh strawberries or other summer berries. You can use clotted cream in place of butter to accompany baked goods such as muffins and quick breads. Additionally, In the U.K., it's used to make confections such as fudge, ice cream and truffles.

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
  2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
  3. Overmixing the dough. ...
  4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
  5. Baking them ahead of time.
May 1, 2019

Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›

For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.

What is the difference between British scones and English scones? ›

British scones are traditionally drier, lighter, plain in flavor, and significantly less sugary than American scones and are commonly served for breakfast or with afternoon tea as a bready snack. America's Test Kitchen claims that butter is one of the major differences between English and American scones.

What do British people call scones? ›

For those in Commonwealth countries — England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Wales, and so forth — the word biscuit signifies something most Americans would call a cookie, and a scone is, well, something similar to an American biscuit: round, bready, and only slightly sweet.

What does scone mean in British English? ›

scone in British English

noun. 1. ( skɒn , skəʊn ) a light plain doughy cake made from flour with very little fat, cooked in an oven or (esp originally) on a griddle, usually split open and buttered.

What is the queens way to eat scones? ›

So when it comes to the big question of jam or cream first you would imagine her is the definitive answer. And now her head chef Chris Tombling has revealed that at Buckingham Palace the cream is always smeared onto the scone first, followed by a good dollop of jam.

Can I buy clotted cream in the US? ›

To be considered authentic clotted cream, it must typically be produced exclusively in either Devon or Cornwall. Its exclusivity extends beyond England, however, as clotted cream is technically illegal in America.

Should I whip clotted cream? ›

No. If done right, the consistency will already be thick and creamy with no extra whipping required. How do you loosen clotted cream? If you feel like the consistency is too thick, simply stir in a small amount of the thin leftover liquid.

What is the American equivalent of clotted cream? ›

To be true clotted cream it has to have a minimum fat content of 55%, although most of the clotted cream made in England leans towards a rich 64%. As you can probably tell from these numbers it is not the healthiest thing in the world. In the U.S, clotted cream would be classed as butter due to its high fat content.

Do you refrigerate clotted cream? ›

An average rule of thumb is Clotted cream can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Once opened it lasts for approximately 4 days, depending on how you refrigerate it. Unopened clotted cream will keep for longer, up to 14 days.

What jam goes with clotted cream? ›

As it turns out, yes. Cream tea is scones with clotted cream and (strawberry) jam and a lovely cup of tea. Traditionally, afternoon tea is a bit richer. On top of tea and scones, an afternoon tea also offers sandwiches and yummy cakes.

Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.

How to get scones to rise higher? ›

To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

What are the qualities of a perfect scone? ›

The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced. Whichever route you go, we're here to help you achieve scone perfection.

Why aren t my scones light and fluffy? ›

Add some extra baking powder/soda, they might not have raised enough. If your scones barely rise in the oven, reconsider the amount of water you've added. You might want to add more. Otherwise, increase the amount of baking powder/soda.

References

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