When Queen Elizabeth sat down for tea with a cup of her favorite Earl Grey, she also enjoyed an essential tea-time treat: Queen’s Favorite Scones! These scones are flaky, buttery, and tender, perfect for topping with classic strawberry jam and rich clotted cream for the full, traditional British experience. Queen’s Favorite Scones take less than an hour to make so you can have them fresh and ready for brunch time or an afternoon garden party. Just a taste will tell you why the Queen loved these baked goods so much.
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring a work surface and baking sheet, plus more for kneading
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 2/3 cup milk, plus more as needed
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
- strawberry jam, optional, to taste, for serving
- clotted cream, optional, at room temperature and to taste, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease and flour a baking sheet.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and unsalted butter.
Step 4 –Rub the mixture together to break up the butter into a fine breadcrumb texture. Try to keep the butter as cold as possible.
Step 5 –Add in 2/3 cup milk slowly, mixing as you add it until the dough comes together with no lumps remaining.
Step 6 –The dough should be sticky. If the texture doesn’t seem correct, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step 7 –Flour a work surface generously.
Step 8 –Spoon the dough out onto the prepared work surface.
Step 9 –Dust the top of the dough with flour.
Step 10 –Knead the dough 2-3 times to coat it in the flour and smooth the surface.
Step 11 –Press the dough into a 1-inch thick round.
Step 12 –Using a floured cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch circles. Do not twist the cookie cutter while cutting, as this can ruin the texture of the finished scones.
Step 13 –Brush the tops of the rounds gently with the egg wash mixture.
Step 14 –Bake until golden and firm, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 15 –Let the scones cool for 30 minutes, covering them with a tea towel as they cool for a softer texture.
Step 16 –Serve with strawberry jam and clotted cream.