One week later and I’m still feeling super patriotic from the Royal wedding. I love a wedding anyway, but when it has pomp and ceremony and men in uniform I’m even more in love! So what better bake to commemorate the United Kingdom than a scone. Or in this case, an afternoon tea scone! I’ve given them that slightly more specific title, as these scones are quite small and the perfect addition to your afternoon tea stand.
Scones are one of those classic recipes that you really can’t go too wrong with. They can also be whipped up in minutes, making them the perfect last-minute afternoon treat. I think the biggest contention with scones is always whether to add cream or jam first! As you can see I’ve gone the Devonshire route – the correct way 😉
The trick to scones is not to handle them too much, they only need a few gentle pats. And when cutting out the rounds, don’t! twist the cutter. Go for a quick motion in and out. Otherwise you might stop them from rising too much. You also want to make sure your egg wash only goes on the top of the scones. Any drips down the side again might stop them from rising as much as they could.
So basically be gentle with your scones! They’re delicate little things.
For me, the cream and jam on your scones is almost as important as the bake. As after all, theres always a generous ratio of topping to scone right? I always buy Rodda’s clotted cream but jam wise, homemade is always best! I nearly always have a batch of my strawberry jam in the fridge, ready and waiting for such occasions as these. You can find my recipe here!
I made these with bread flour which makes for a slightly ‘stronger’ scone, rather than the more traditional crumbly texture you usually get. I much prefer it, and it means you have a more solid base for the cream and jam which is always a good thing. So long as you don’t work the dough too much like I mentioned before, you won’t develop the gluten and your scones will stay deliciously light and fluffy!
I hope you love these scones as much as I do!
Afternoon Tea Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 500 g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 80 g unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 80 g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 5 tsp baking powder
- 250 ml whole milk
- pinch of salt and sugar
Toppings
- Clotted Cream
- Strawberry Jam
Instructions
- Firstly, preheat your oven to 220C/200CFan and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, add the flour and butter and rub together with your hands until it resembles a breadcrumb consistency.
- Then add the sugar, 2 of the eggs and baking powder and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Then add half the milk and mix again until its fully incorporated. Then add the remaining milk a little at a time, mixing together until it forms a very soft and wet dough. You may not need to use all the milk.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it, sprinkling some more flour on top. Use your hands to fold the dough in half, then turn it 90 degrees and repeat. The mixture will be very sticky, but after a while a smooth dough should form.
- Then using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough up and down once, then turn 90 degrees and repeat. Pat the dough out with your hands, until its about 2.5cm thick. Finally, 'relax' the dough by slightly lifting the edges and letting it drop back onto the work surface.
- Then using a 7cm cookie cutter, stamp out rounds and place onto the prepared baking trays. Don't twist the cutter, just press firmly in and out. Once you've cut as many rounds as you can, re-roll the remaining dough and repeat the process.
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg and a pinch of salt and sugar together. Then using a pastry brush, brush the top of the scones with the glaze ensuring it doesn't drip down the sides. Once all have been glazed, start at the beginning and glaze again.
- Then place in the oven for 15 minutes until the scones are risen and golden brown. Leave to cool and then cut in half to add the toppings.
