Discover the secret to making light, fluffy, and authentically delicious Irish Scones right in your own kitchen. This traditional Irish scone recipe, passed down from my mother, is a perfect treat for breakfast, afternoon tea, or to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Growing up in Ireland, scones were more than just a treat; they were a part of every significant family gathering, a comforting snack during rainy afternoons, and a must-have at tea time. This recipe is inspired by the scones my mother used to make and pairs wonderfully with my Orange Butter, slathered over the warm scones.
Why This Recipe Works
This authentic Irish scone recipe captures the essence of the Emerald Isle with its simple ingredients and method. Using Irish butter and buttermilk, it achieves a perfect balance between a tender crumb and a rich, buttery flavor. The addition of an egg wash gives these scones a beautifully golden finish, making them irresistible.
Ingredients
The key to these traditional Irish scones lies in the quality of the ingredients:
Irish Butter: Provides a richer, creamier taste.
Buttermilk: Reacts with the baking powder for a light and fluffy texture.
Self-Raising Flour: Ensures the scones rise perfectly, but you can use purpose flour with a raising agent if needed.
Variations
Feel free to adapt the recipe to your liking:
For a healthier option, substitute white flour with whole wheat.
Add dried currants or sultanas for a sweet version, or sharp cheddar and herbs for a savory twist.
Instructions
Prep Your Ingredients: Measure out all ingredients and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. This creates the perfect base for your scones.
Incorporate Butter: Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, rub the Irish butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk, combining gently until a soft dough forms. The dough may seem dry at first, but eventually it will come together.
Shape and Bake: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently roll out to about 1 inch thick, and cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 -15 minutes or until the tops are golden.
Hint: For an extra golden crust, brush the tops of the scones with a mixture of egg and a splash of milk before baking.
Storage
To keep scones fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 6 months, then thawed at room temperature or gently warmed in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Yes, you can just regular milk. The buttermilk creates a softer crumb, but they are still delicious without it.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
This traditional Irish scones recipe is more than just a way to bake; it’s a journey to the heart of Irish culinary tradition, inviting warmth, comfort, and the simple pleasure of sharing good food. Whether you’re celebrating your heritage or simply seeking the perfect scone, this recipe delivers delicious results every time…plus it’s SO quick to make!
This recipe for traditional Irish scones was passed down from my mother. Served for breakfast or afternoon tea and accompanied with jam and clotted cream or simply with butter, these authentic scones are simple to make but absolutely delicious!
10tbspsalted buttercold – I prefer to use Kerrygold Irish Butter
½cupbuttermilkcold
1tablespoonbaking powder
1largeegg
generous pinch of salt
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.Sieve flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
With your hands, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles course breadcrumbs.
In another bowl, mix the egg into the buttermilk.
Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk and egg until you have a soft dough. It should just come together and you should be able to handle it without it being really sticky.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead a couple of times just to remove any cracks. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
Roll out to around 1 inch thick and cut with a cutter or glass dipped in flour.
Place on a floured/buttered baking sheet (or use parchment paper). You should get about 8 scones.
Brush each scone with milk to help brown the tops when baked.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the scones are golden.
Best served immediately but can be warmed the following day or eaten cold.
While quite similar, what distinguishes Irish scones from English scones is that they typically contain a bit less sugar. They're also made with less leavener, so they're slightly flatter and smaller. It's important to note that no two Irish families make their scones the same way.
The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.
British scones are traditionally drier, lighter, plain in flavor, and significantly less sugary than American scones and are commonly served for breakfast or with afternoon tea as a bready snack. America's Test Kitchen claims that butter is one of the major differences between English and American scones.
Irish scones are always round and always made with butter. The biggest difference between American scones and Irish scones is the amount of butter used. Irish Scones are made with quite a bit less (as well as less sugar).
Its exclusivity extends beyond England, however, as clotted cream is technically illegal in America. Why? True clotted cream is made with unpasteurized milk, and the FDA officially banned the distribution of any milk or milk products that haven't been pasteurized in America in 1987.
The secret is using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. It's lower in protein and makes for ultra-tender scones. If you don't have any on hand, you can easily make your own using all-purpose flour and cornstarch (see the FAQs below).
For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.
Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.
According to the survey, afternoon teas in Scotland and Ulster would include scones as in “gone” while folks further south in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland would be ordering scones in “bone”.
Clotted cream and whipped cream are both made with heavy cream, but while whipped cream is whipped into airy peaks, clotted cream is heated and separated, for a far denser texture. With its ultra-thick consistency, clotted cream can even be mistaken for butter.
Irish scones are particularly popular in Ireland. Made from raisins, this cake actually originated in Scotland, but has literally been adopted by the Irish (and English) for centuries! Since then, Ireland has come up with its own variation, and believe it or not, it's a national culinary treasure!
The reason scones are called biscuits in America is likely because the recipe to make Southern biscuits is similar to those used to make hardtack. Hardtack is a dense cracker or biscuit made of similar ingredients, but no dairy.
In Scotland and Ulster, savoury varieties of scone include soda scones, also known as soda farls, sour dough scones known as soor dook scones made with sour milk, and potato scones, normally known as tattie scones, which resemble small, thin savoury pancakes made with potato flour.
The main differences are that scones tend to have less butter (because you'll add butter to it when you eating it — or else, clotted cream or jam) while American biscuits tend to have more butter and light layers.
British scones are more closely related to American biscuits. While a British "biscuit" is what we would call a crunchy cookie! Sometimes made with raisins or sultanas, British scones are on the plain side compared with American scones, which are typically heavily flavored and topped with a drizzle or glaze.
American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.
British scones are usually lightly sweetned and contain fruit like currants or berries.Scottish scones are often closer to a biscuit and are made with buttermilk, though some Scottish grandmothers will swear you should only use sour milk.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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