Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (2024)

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This easy English Scones Recipe is perfect for entertaining guests! A traditional tasty English teatime treat that’s so easy to make at home.

Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (1)

Today’s recipe has a special place in my heart! These easy British Scones remind me of one my favorite vacation destinations: London. My husband and I love everything British: the accent, the weather, and especially the food. Yes, I’m serious, I love British food.

London is a great city for foodies. Even if you’re a student and don’t have much money (like we did on our first trip, where we stayed in a hotel room without windows to save money) you can experience Michelin starred cuisine (choose the lunch menu), eat the finest sandwiches from Harrods (go there just before they close), and taste traditional Afternoon Tea (get the cream tea instead of the whole Afternoon Tea).

Scones with clotted cream and jam are definitely one of my favorite treats and they’re so easy to make at home!

Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (2)

These scones are so simple to make! I like to make the whole recipe and freeze most of them. Then when I want one I defrost it, most times I use my toaster oven or just let them sit on the counter for a few hours, and they taste like fresh out of the oven!

Like my Easy Lemon Raspberry Cakeor my Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel, British-style scones are a great addition to a brunch or special-occasion breakfast like Mother’s day, Easter or Christmas. (Have a look at mycategory for more brunch inspirations!)

Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (3)

What is the difference between American Scones and English Scones?

British scones are differentfrom American scones! British ones have less butter and sugar in them because you slather clotted cream (which is kind of a butter) and sweet jam on them when you eat them. They are flaky, fluffy, and so delicious!

English scones contain more leavening agent than you would normally use for this amount of flour but you want them to rise high in a short time.And you don’t really add add-ins into the dough like in the US version. British scones are preferred plain, sometimes a few raisins are added but that’s very rare.

Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (4)

Clotted Cream is really hard to find outside the UK. You can find it on Amazon or make your own (here is a great tutorial from Cupcake Project). But be prepared that it’s expensive to buy real clotted cream outside the UK, but you should definitely try it.

If you can’t find clotted cream you can use butter, whipped cream, or mascarpone which is a great alternative I often use and available at most big grocery stores in the deli section.

This English Scones Recipe is really easy and fast to make, using ingredients you probably have at home anyway. Scones are traditionally served in the afternoon atteatime with a cup of tea but they’re also perfect for brunch!

– Julia

Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (5)

Looking for more Brunch Recipes?

  • Baked Oatmeal Recipe
  • Spinach Tomato Quiche
  • Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
  • Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

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Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (6)

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5 from 75 votes

English Scones Recipe

By: Julia Foerster

Easy English Scones Recipe - perfect for entertaining guests and super fast and easy to make! You can make the scones in advance and freeze them.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Cups - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and put it in the oven while it is preheating.

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers to work it in until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.

  • Heat up the milk on the stove or the microwave until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.

  • Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and combine them quickly with a fork.

  • Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour, then fold the dough over a few times until smooth. Don't overwork the dough. Pat into a round disc about 1.5-inch (4cm) high.

  • Use a 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter to cut out scones, repeat until all the dough is used. You should get 8 scones.

  • Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, then carefully place them onto the hot baking sheet.

  • Bake for 10-15 mins until golden on top. Serve topped with jam and clotted cream.

Video

Notes

If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven for a few minutes until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 2mg

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About Julia Foerster

Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch, with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions.

Read More About Me

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Easy English Scones Recipe with Jam & Clotted Cream (2024)

FAQs

Do you put clotted cream or jam first on scones? ›

THE PERFECT SCONE

According to their research on the perfect cream tea, your scone should be 4-7cm in diameter and the jam should be spread on first (very important!), leaving a space around the edge. Finally the clotted cream should sit proudly on the top.

Do you put butter on scones with jam and clotted cream? ›

It's usually one or the other. The clotted cream is spread liberally over each slice of scone and a little strawberry jam is placed on top. If you don't have clotted cream then you use butter instead. Though, you could use any type of jam, strawberry is probably the most authentic variety.

How much clotted cream do you need per scone? ›

The key to a perfect scone is to follow the weight ratio of 2:1:1 – in other words, a 70 gram scone needs 35 grams of jam and 35 grams of cream. Cheng's research – unsurprisingly, as it was sponsored by Rodda's Cornish Clotted Cream – concludes that clotted cream is better than whipped cream.

What is the secret to making good scones? ›

Tips for Making Perfect Scones
  • Cold is their friend. Use cold butter straight from the fridge. ...
  • They don't like to be touched by hands. If possible use a food processor to combine the butter and flour. ...
  • Scones like to cosy up to one another in the baking tray. This helps them to rise evenly in the cooking process.
Sep 6, 2017

What is the difference between Devon scones and Cornish scones? ›

According to research, what's widely known as the “Devon method” is putting your clotted cream on first and covering that up with jam whereas the “Cornish method” involves spreading your scone with strawberry jam and then topping that layer with clotted cream.

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 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

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

American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.

What is the US equivalent to double cream? ›

The British use double cream in recipes the way we use heavy cream or whipping cream here in the US, but they also allow it to accompany dessert the way we might use ice cream.

What is clotted cream in America? ›

Clotted cream is simply full-fat cream that's been heated low and slow for many hours and then cooled slowly so the cream rises to the surface and forms "clots." This thickened cream is scooped off the top and into a jar or small container.

What is the best flour for scones? ›

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.

Is heavy cream or buttermilk better for scones? ›

Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.

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.

Should scone dough rest before baking? ›

Keep scones cold before putting them in the oven: For best results, chill the mixture in the fridge before baking, this will help to stiffen up the butter again, which will stop your scones from slumping as soon as they hit the oven's heat.

Should you sift flour for scones? ›

Don't forget to sift!

Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.

What is the correct order for scones? ›

“The only way to serve a scone is by putting on the jam first. It's easily spreadable, and visually, it looks much better with the jam on the bottom and a good spoon of Cornish clotted cream on top. We take a lot of pride in our clotted cream.

Do queens eat scones with cream or jam first? ›

Well, according to Darren McGrady, a former chef who worked for the Royal Family for over 10 years, the Queen prefered jam first. He tweeted: “The Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.”

What is the correct way to assemble a scone? ›

While those in Devon typically spread the clotted cream first followed by jam, the Cornish tradition is to spread jam first followed by cream. Finally, we have some clarity on the issue, as it's revealed how the Queen takes her scones.

What is the Devon way of scones and cream? ›

The Devon Way of serving Cream Tea is to split the scone in half, spread clotted cream on each half, and then add a dollop of jam on top. The Cornish Way, on the other hand, is to split the scone in half, spread jam on each half, and then add a dollop of clotted cream on top.

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