Description
Deliciously tender and flaky Irish scones made with simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, cold butter, dried currants, eggs, and cream. These scones are perfect for breakfast or a teatime treat, baked to a golden brown and served 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
Butter
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Add-ins
- 3/4 cup dried currants or raisins
Wet Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to ensure it’s at the right temperature when you’re ready to bake the scones.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the dried currants or raisins if using.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large measuring cup, whisk the 4 beaten eggs with the heavy cream until smoothly combined.
- Form Dough: Slowly pour the egg and cream mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a spatula just until the dough starts to come together. Avoid over-mixing.
- Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead lightly. Press the dough down into a smooth disc about 1 inch thick using your hands or a rolling pin.
- Cut Scones: Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut the dough into 12 to 16 scones. Gather and re-roll any scraps to cut more scones. Place the scones on a baking sheet.
- Egg Wash: Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg to give them a golden, shiny finish when baked.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes or until the scones are golden brown on top and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the baked scones to a cooling rack to cool slightly. Serve warm with butter, jam, or freshly clotted cream.
Notes
- Cold Butter Is Key: Freeze butter for 30 minutes before cutting into the flour to ensure flaky texture.
- No Pastry Cutter? Use a box grater to grate cold butter directly into the flour mixture.
- Do Not Over-mix: Overworking the dough leads to dense scones; mix just until combined.
- Add Just Enough Liquid: Too much cream/egg mixture makes tough scones; add gradually until dough holds together.
- Make Ahead & Freeze: Scones freeze well either baked or unbaked for quick treats later.
- If using frozen fruits, add them last before cutting to prevent juices from melting the dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
