Classic English Scones |Cooking With Amanda

One of the first things I enjoy most when I land back on British soil is a lovely scone with clotted cream, jam, and pot of tea. Why it tastes better on home turf I do not know. I try and make scones at home as often as possible to get my fix and they're always best straight from the oven.

I love all types of scones, but there are times where I just want it in its purest form with nothing added. Variations can be sweet or savory by adding currants or raisins, or cheese. Clotted cream is a must with sweet scones!

What is clotted cream, you ask? Yes, it is a very unappealing name but it is the creamiest cream made from the best Devon cows' milk. In a nutshell, cream is cooked stovetop or oven until the cream "clots" and forms a thick layer on the top, and this is the goodness that is skimmed off and enjoyed on scones.

There are many theories that go into making the perfect scones; for instance when cutting out the circles out of the dough, don't twist or they will rise crooked. I just make them how I've always done. Who wants a perfect scone that looks like it came from a factory? I want it to look rustic and homemade and that are as simple as possible.

There's also a question of do you add jam first to the scone then the cream on top of that. Who cares? I like jam first, then the cream. Eat it how you want to!

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Classic English Scones Recipe

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen*
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature, plus 1 teaspoon for brushing
2 eggs, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Into a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Grate the butter into the flour and cut the butter into the flour with a butter knife until it forms large crumbles.
In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg into the buttermilk.
Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg /buttermilk liquid.
Mix until the dough with a spoon until the dough comes together. It should be moist, but not be sticky. Add a touch more milk if it is too dry and not holding together.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Shape out to about 3/4 inch thick. Do not work the dough too much and do not use a rolling pin.
Using a non-fluted 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut rounds. Dip the cutter into flour before each cut.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rounds on the baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.
Whisk the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon buttermilk and brush the tops of the scones.
Bake for 15 minutes or until well risen and golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack covered with a towel to keep them moist.
Serve with clotted cream and strawberry jam.