The Best traditional Scottish Scones Recipe will produce delicious, large, light scones that melt in the mouth when eaten. The whole of the United Kingdom is famous for its scones, but I still maintain that Scottish cooks produce the best. You will find many different varieties, from plain scones, fruit scones, cherry scones, date scones and savoury cheese scones. You can buy them in Bakers' Shops and supermarkets everywhere, and I doubt if you will find a coffee shop in the land, which does not have scones on the menu. Restaurants which serve the traditional Scottish 'High Tea' will almost always have freshly-baked scones as part of the meal.
Of course in Scotland we also have other 'scones' which are totally different, such as the Potato Scone (probably the Scottish equivalent of Hash Browns) which is usually served with a cooked breakfast; and we also have 'drop scones', which are made with a batter-like mixture using a griddle (or girdle) but are called Scotch Pancakes. There are other types of scones such as Treacle Scones, Soda Scones, and whole-meal scones. All of these as well as Potato (or Tattie) Scone and the Drop Scone are not what I am describing as a traditional Scottish Scone.
The recipe below is one of the simplest yet best Scottish scone recipe you will find, and is not hard to make. This is the 'plain' version, and both the plain and the fruit scone are served with butter; although for a real treat, serve them with delicious homemade jam such as strawberry or raspberry, and of course whipped or clotted cream. They are best served warm, and of course served with a nice pot of tea.
Ingredients
1.5oz / 40g slightly salted butter
8oz / 225g self-raising flour
1oz / 25g caster sugar
large pinch of salt
5fl oz / 150ml milk
Method
- Mix the flour and salt together and rub in the butter.
- Mix in the sugar, then the milk until the dough is soft.
- Turn on to a floured board and knead very lightly.
- Make a round roughly ? in / 2cm thick.
- Using a scone cutter (about 2in / 5cm) cut into rounds and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and continue cutting more scones to use up all the dough.
- Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk (or beaten egg).
- Bake for around 12-15 minutes in preheated oven (220C/425F) until golden and well risen.
Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and homemade raspberry jam and maybe some whipped or clotted cream while still warm.
The recipe can be adapted to include sultanas or other dried fruit; or with cheese to make a savoury version
