Classic scones with jam & clotted cream

Classic scones with jam & clotted cream

You can have a batch of scones on the table in 20 minutes with Jane Hornby's storecupboard recipe, perfect for unexpected guests

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.
  2. Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.
  3. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.
  4. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.
  5. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.
Try

Jane says...

Scones are so quick to make that my mum would often emerge with a plateful before we'd even noticed she'd gone! I've borrowed her tip of using warm milk, and added a few tricks of my own for light scones that rise every time

Towering tall

For toweringly tall scones, always pat the dough out a bit thicker than you think you should. I say pat rather than knead because scones are essentially a sweet soda bread and, like other soda breads, will become tough when over-handled. Kick-start the scones' rise with a hot baking tray and don't leave the dough sitting around. If you like your scones with lots of juicy fruit, stir 85g plump sultanas into the mix at the same time as the sugar.

Know-how

Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk sours it slightly, mimicking sharp-tasting buttermilk, often used in scones but sometimes tricky to find. The slightly acidic mix gives a boost to the raising agents in the flour and baking powder.

Per scone (no jam or cream)

268 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 10 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 8g, salt 0.95 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 281-300

  • Binder photo Rosa

    08 July 2011

    Rosa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These scones are amazing. I made 80 for my mothers 60th birthday party and everyone was complimenting me on them. They are so light and really easy to make. I will never use another recipe for scones, this one is fool proof!

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  • Binder photo June49

    11 July 2011

    June49 commented on this recipe

    Just baked them today, they truly are scrumptious and so easy to bake.

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  • Binder photo Sors

    19 July 2011

    Sors commented on this recipe

    Really light, great scones. Don't keep too long in a seal box I've found, they start to taste a bit stale after a few days, but they're great none the less.

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  • Binder photo Julie

    21 July 2011

    Julie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Best recipe ever!!!

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  • Binder photo squidgepher

    24 July 2011

    squidgepher commented on this recipe

    spot on... really nice

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  • Binder photo rs100

    26 July 2011

    rs100 rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Stuart

    30 July 2011

    Stuart commented on this recipe

    I tried this recipe and it worked great and made big scones, best tip is the buttermilk and too not make the mixture for the scones too small

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  • Binder photo Helen

    31 July 2011

    Helen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Best tasting scones I've ever made and really easy to make too!

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  • Binder photo Jamie

    07 August 2011

    Jamie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made these today with sultanas - fantastic! I used buttermilk instead of milk and lemon. They turned out really light and fluffy. I'll certainly make them again.

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  • Binder photo sexievodka

    09 August 2011

    sexievodka rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My 8 year old and I made these! Am daft for scones and these are brillant! x

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  • Binder photo Plummy

    11 August 2011

    Plummy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are so quick and easy to make and taste soooooo good I don't know why I haven't made them before. Entering them in a local show tomorrow so fingers crossed!

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  • Binder photo kipperguffy

    14 August 2011

    kipperguffy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Always followed my own instinct with scones, and everyone said they were the best.... Until I cooked these.. Fantastic, light and kept a couple of days, which mine never did. Added a handful of raisins and topped with water and gran sugar for a crispier topping. Perfect.

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  • Binder photo Col

    17 August 2011

    Col rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    i have made tonnes of scones over the years but this simple recipe was the best by far, they are so light and airy and melt in your mouth. Dont bother with all the finickerty recipes for scones out there, this is def the best around! (you must do the milk and lemon juice it makes all the difference!)

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  • Binder photo DelightfulBakes

    18 August 2011

    DelightfulBakes commented on this recipe

    So far I have tried a number of recipes and this one is the most fabulous. The proportion of ingredients are just right, except that I used buttermilk instead of milk with lemon.

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  • Binder photo Brown

    18 August 2011

    Brown commented on this recipe

    Has anyone frozen these, I have a tea party for 25 people and I am a little nervous of leaving it until the morning?

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  • Binder photo threeangels

    19 August 2011

    threeangels rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I agree this recipe is yummy. My offerings didn't rise much though but still nice and soft. I and my girls had them warm with jam we�ve just brought home from Cornwall with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream on top. I will try to be gentler with the dough next time I might have patted it down too hard.

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  • Binder photo HungryKoala

    22 August 2011

    HungryKoala rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely!! Lovely soft texture and very tasty. Keep well for days.

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  • Binder photo Tu

    25 August 2011

    Tu rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Frances Booth

    25 August 2011

    Frances Booth commented on this recipe

    Until I found this recipe scones were my Achilles heel. All I can say is WOW!

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  • Binder photo Allibear

    26 August 2011

    Allibear commented on this recipe

    I don't bake as I am totally useless at this skill! (Have vague memories of making scones in Domestic Science nearly 50 years ago.) We now live in France and have been told by others that French neighbours adore scones so I had a couple of trial runs with other recipes before using this one. Forgot to add the sugar first time but they still tasted OK. Tried again today and they are perfect. French self raising flour does not seem quite the same as that used in the UK so I was a bit concerned. No worries. I cannot get buttermilk so the milk and lemon idea is great. I did cook the scones for 15 minutes instead of 10 because the first (sugarless) lot were a bit wet in the middle. I'll experiment with sultanas etc and then I'll be ready to invite people for afternoon tea! It is definitely the best recipe out of the three I tried. Quick, easy and perfect results. What more can one ask?

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 5 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Freezable

Indulge in a homemade cream tea

Ingredients

  • 350g self-raising flour , plus more for dusting
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 85g butter , cut into cubes
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 175ml milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • squeeze lemon juice (see Know-how below)
  • beaten egg , to glaze
  • jam and clotted cream , to serve
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Per scone (no jam or cream)

268 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 10 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 8g, salt 0.95 g

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