Discover the quintessential British tea-time treat with these light, fluffy scones that practically melt in your mouth. Topped with rich, luxurious clotted cream and fresh jam, these golden-baked beauties are perfect for afternoon tea, breakfast, or any special occasion when you want to feel utterly indulgent.
⏱️35 min
📊Easy
👥8 servings
🍽️Snack
vegetarianbudget-friendlyfestive
Ingredients
250 gall-purpose flour
2 teaspoonsbaking powder
0.25 teaspoonsalt
60 gcold butter
2 tablespoonscaster sugar
150 mlwhole milk
200 gclotted cream
150 gjam (strawberry or raspberry)
Instructions
1PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Allow the oven to fully preheat for at least 5 minutes, as this ensures your scones will rise beautifully and develop that desirable golden exterior while maintaining a tender crumb inside.
2MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Sifting is crucial as it aerates the flour and distributes the baking powder evenly, which will give your scones that characteristic light, fluffy texture. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients.
3CUT IN THE COLD BUTTER: Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. This technique creates pockets of steam during baking, resulting in the desired flaky, tender crumb. Work quickly so the butter doesn't warm up and melt into the flour.
4INCORPORATE SUGAR AND MILK: Stir the caster sugar into the flour-butter mixture, then gradually pour in the milk while stirring gently with a wooden spoon or fork until a soft, sticky dough just forms. Do not overmix—the dough should come together loosely with some flour still visible. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes scones tough and dense rather than light and crumbly.
5SHAPE THE SCONES: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently pat it into a round about 2-3 cm thick. Using a 5 cm round cutter or glass, press firmly (don't twist) to cut out scones, reforming scraps gently and cutting until all dough is used. Place each scone on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 cm apart to allow for expansion during baking.
6BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the scones are risen and golden brown on top. The scones should feel light when lifted and sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom, indicating they are fully cooked through with a moist crumb inside. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly—they are best served warm or at room temperature.
7SERVE WITH CLOTTED CREAM AND JAM: Once the scones have cooled slightly, split them gently in half horizontally using a serrated knife or by carefully pulling apart by hand. Spread a generous dollop of clotted cream on the bottom half, then top with a spoonful of your favorite jam. In the traditional Cornish style, clotted cream goes on first, followed by jam, creating a luscious combination that melts together with each delightful bite.