Scones with Jam & Cream
Nothing empties a teapot faster than a tray of these coming out of the oven. Granny could have a batch on the table twenty minutes after visitors rang the doorbell — and half the trick was that she never fussed over them.
Scones punish perfectionism. The lighter and quicker your hand, the taller and fluffier they rise. Three rules were drilled into us: cold butter, don't overwork the dough, and never twist the cutter — press straight down, straight up, so the edges stay open and the scones rise tall and even.
Serve them just-warm with raspberry jam and softly whipped cream, alongside a slice of apple tart if you're feeding a crowd.
Scones with Jam & Cream
Tall, fluffy, golden — on the table in under half an hour.
Ingredients
- 450 g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 100 g cold butter, cubed
- 50 g caster sugar
- 250 ml cold milk
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
- Jam & softly whipped cream, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 220°C (fan 200°C / gas 7) and line a baking tray.
- Rub in the butter. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a big bowl. Rub in the cold butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
- Make a soft dough. Make a well, pour in the cold milk and mix quickly — first with a knife, then one hand — into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Stop the moment it comes together.
- Pat & cut. Turn onto a floured surface and pat gently to 3 cm thick. Cut with a 6 cm floured cutter, pressing straight down — no twisting. Re-pat the trimmings once.
- Glaze & bake. Brush the tops (only the tops!) with beaten egg and bake 12–14 minutes until tall and golden. Serve warm, split, with jam and cream.
Glaze only the tops — if egg drips down the sides it glues the edges and the scones rise crooked.
Tips for tall, fluffy scones
Everything cold
Cold butter and cold milk keep the dough tender. Warm dough spreads instead of rising.
Keep it thick
Pat to a generous 3 cm. Thin dough can't make a tall scone, no matter what else you do right.
Straight down, straight up
Twisting the cutter seals the edge — the number one cause of leaning, stunted scones.
Questions, answered
Why don't my scones rise?
Four usual culprits: dough patted too thin (keep it a generous 3 cm), overworked dough, tired baking powder, or twisting the cutter — twisting seals the edges so the scone can't spring up straight.
Can I freeze scones?
Yes, both ways. Freeze unbaked rounds and bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes; or freeze baked scones and refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes.
Jam first or cream first?
In this house: jam first, cream on top — but a warm scone forgives all opinions. We won't fall out over it.
Can I add fruit?
Stir 100 g of sultanas or raisins in with the sugar. For cherry scones, use halved glacé cherries tossed in a little flour so they don't sink.