Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (2024)

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This authentic Scottish Scones recipe is super easy to make and so flaky. Soft and crumbly, these delicate scones go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or strong caffe’ latte.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (1)
A lazy Saturday morning deserves a scone fresh out of the oven slathered with your favorite jam. Any morning deserves a scone fresh out of the oven!

Authentic Scottish Scones recipe

I usually make pancakes or waffles on the weekend. My family recently has been requesting scones. I have been making scones over the years for the kids with different kind of chips (butterscotch, chocolate, white chocolate) and with fruits. I never make them with just freshly grated lemon zest.

I mentioned recently I’ve been finally catching up on recipes I wanted to try from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life. This was one of the recipes in the book I marked to try and it is a definite keeper!

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (2)

What is a good scone?

My brother came over the other day and he was asking me what makes a really good, or rather, great scone? He asked how should the texture be? Hard? Soft? So I explained the texture should be crumbly and soft. Definitely it should not be tough and the less you work the dough, the more delicate your scone will be!

The tangy zest of the lemon mixed with the sweetness of the strawberry jam is exquisite. Delicate scones go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or strong caffe’ latte (that’s the way I like them.

Scottish Scones
slightly adapted from Orangette

½ c milk (I used low-fat. You can use even heavy whipping cream if you like)
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
zest of one lemon
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
3 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (3)

Rub the butter into the flour mixture, working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar and toss to mix. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (4)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it no more than 12 times. [Apparently, twelve is the magic number here; surpass it at your own risk.] Pat dough into a round approximately 1-inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a Silpat.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (5)

Using a pastry brush, brush milk onto the wedges.

Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack and serve with your favorite jam.

If you want to see some pretty scones with a sweet glaze, check out my darling friend Lindsey's delicious scones! Here are links to my Sour Cherry Scones with White Chocolate Chips and my Butterscotch Chip Scones. The Butterscotch Drop Scones are dangerous. That’s all I have to say.

My in-laws have been enjoying this wonderful Florida weather. We have been too! The intense humidity and days of temperature over 100 degrees are around the corner for us. This gorgeous sailboat passed in front of our view on one of her recent visits to the beach. I see them so often that I forget their beauty.

I take for granted the splendid colors of our ocean. I neglect to cherish simple images such as this as I’m sure my in-laws do the same with the beauty that surrounds them in Italy. I guess your eyes are no longer intrigued with what is common.

I smile every time I hear them say, “Che bello!” How beautiful. Yes, it is beautiful. I’m looking at the places I see every day with new eyes thanks to my in-laws. I appreciate my life a little bit more each day.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (6)
My mother-in-law was fascinated with these trees at the park the other day. She kept filming them and photographing them. The same spot, over and over again.

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (7)

Can you think of somewhere in your city or town that you have taken for granted? Something simple and beautiful. Something that is unique and special? Take me to your city! Tell me all about it!

Thank you for stopping by and for your awesome comments!! I promise to post something I’ve recently made with Teresa (my mother-in-law). She moves so fast when she cooks it is difficult to photograph her!

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (8)

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5 from 2 votes

Authentic Scottish Scones

This authentic Scottish Scones recipe is so easy to make and so flaky. Soft and crumbly, these delicate scones go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or strong caffe’ latte.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: English

Keyword: Scones, tea time

Servings: 8 scones

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • ½ cup milk you could use almond, oat or coconut milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • zest of one lemon
  • ½ stick 2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (use vegan butter sticks if you like)
  • 3 Tbs sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.

  • Rub the butter into the flour mixture, working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar and toss to mix. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.

  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it no more than 12 times. [Apparently, twelve is the magic number here; surpass it at your own risk.] Pat dough into a round approximately 1-inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a Silpat.

  • Using a pastry brush, brush milk onto the wedges.

  • Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack and serve with your favorite jam.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

Authentic Scottish Scones Recipe-Soft and Crumbly Tea Scones (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Scottish and English scones? ›

British scones are usually lightly sweetned and contain fruit like currants or berries. Scottish scones are often closer to a biscuit and are made with buttermilk, though some Scottish grandmothers will swear you should only use sour milk.

What is the problem with crumbly scones? ›

Overworking the dough will lead to scones that are tough and chewy, rather than light and flaky. The less you knead the mix, the less the gluten will tighten up – which means your scones will stay loose and crumbly, rather than tight and springy.

How do Scots eat scones? ›

The are generally eaten with butter and jam, or jam and cream. And always with tea. Tea and scones is a British staple afternoon snack.

What do Scots call scones? ›

A tattie scone (tottie scone) or potato scone is a regional variant of the savoury griddle scone which is especially popular in Scotland.

What is the American version of a scone? ›

Scones are dryer and crumbly. They need the thick, luscious clotted cream and jam to make a delicious sweet treat. American biscuits are more fluffy, from the extra butter, and the acidity of buttermilk. So, they are similar, but not the same.

How to make scones not crumbly? ›

Don't overwork the dough!

Even if the dough looks crumbly, that's a good thing! It allows for those air pockets to help increase the fluffiness. If the dough is too crumbly however, just add a touch of buttermilk, double cream or whatever thick liquid you're using.

What can go wrong when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients.
  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

Why are my scones hard after baking? ›

Just a reminder: Don't overwork the dough or the scones will turn out rubbery – or worse, bullety and hard. Cut out your scones cleanly. Twisting the cutter can impair the rise.

What is a full Scottish breakfast? ›

So, what is a full Scottish breakfast? Usually made up of bacon, link sausages, Lorne sausage (also known as square sausage or slice), black pudding, haggis, baked beans, fried mushrooms and tomatoes, toast, tattie scones and fried eggs, the full Scottish breakfast is a sight to behold.

What is the etiquette for eating a scone? ›

The Basics of Eating a Scone Properly

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.

What are British scones called in America? ›

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent. The main differences are that scones tend to have less butter (because you'll add butter to it when you eating it — or else, clotted cream or jam) while American biscuits tend to have more butter and light layers.

Do Scottish people say scone or scon? ›

99% of Scots pronounce “scone” to rhyme with “John” – see study.

Are scones and English muffins the same thing? ›

This is a common thing for people to get confused about, because people often confuse English muffins and scones. Scones are, in some ways, quite similar to some forms of US biscuit. However, scones and English muffins aren't even slightly similar!

Are American biscuits the same as English scones? ›

"The ingredients for British scones and the American biscuit are very similar," says Holly Snyder, senior culinary product developer at Amazon Fresh. "The proportions of those ingredients are the key difference; scones usually have less butter and more liquid than American biscuits."

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