Description
These classic Irish scones are tender, flaky, and lightly sweetened, perfect for breakfast or teatime. Made with simple ingredients like flour, butter, currants, eggs, and cream, they bake up golden and delicious to be enjoyed with butter, jam, or clotted cream.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup dried currants or raisins
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to reach the right baking temperature before the scones go in.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, mixing thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture and use a pastry cutter or two knives to blend until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the dried currants or raisins at this stage.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate container, whisk together the 4 beaten eggs and 1 cup of heavy cream until well combined.
- Form the Dough: Gradually pour the egg and cream mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula just until the dough starts to come together. Avoid over-mixing to keep the scones tender.
- Knead Lightly: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it lightly. Then flatten or roll the dough to about 1 inch thickness, creating a smooth surface.
- Cut the Scones: Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 12 to 16 scones. Re-roll any scraps to cut additional scones.
- Apply Egg Wash: Place the cut scones on a baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg to give them a golden finish when baked.
- Bake: Bake the scones in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the baked scones to a cooling rack to cool slightly before serving with butter, jam, and clotted cream for a traditional Irish treat.
Notes
- Cold Butter Is Key: Use cold or frozen butter to create flaky layers in your scones.
- No Pastry Cutter? Use a box grater to grate cold butter directly into the flour for easy mixing.
- Do Not Over-mix: Over-mixing the dough will result in dense scones; mix just until combined.
- Add Just Enough Liquid: Add only as much egg and cream mixture as needed to bring the dough together to avoid tough scones.
- Make Ahead & Freeze: These scones can be frozen either baked or unbaked, making for a convenient quick treat.
- If Using Frozen Fruit: Add frozen berries or fruits last minute before cutting to prevent bleeding juices in the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
