Creamy scones with specks of currants

Scottish scones are essentially minimalist, barely sweet and without the gaiety of currants, raisins, dates or dried berries. From the Scottish highlands, scones migrated during industrial revolution time to Britain where it caught the fancies of Duchess of Bedford who initiated the fashionable ritual of “Afternoon tea time” with scones or Scottish quick breads which were usually served with jams and clotted creams.

The Victorian etiquettes highlighted the scones so much that it becomes almost synonymous with afternoon tea rituals – “Tea with scones” , complementing each other so perfectly that a new food ritual has evolved – “Devonshire Tea”. In pre-baking powder days, scones in Scotland were usually made with oatmeal and baked on griddle, cut into triangle like quadrants. They can be savouries too, flavoured with herbs, bacon, hams and cheese. With baking powder scones becomes well-leavened, flours substituted the oatmeal and modern scones arrived as we know it today and are widely available in British and Irish bakeries.

When scones crossed the Atlantic in early 18th century, brought to this new world by early British and Scottish immigrants, it absorbs lots of sugar, and dressed up with loads of  raisins, dried berries, dates, fruits and other ingredients. New world follows new rules, and scones found their new soul mate in coffee.

From afternoon tea scones graduated itself to morning breakfast, with fresh cream or jam in between, it happily pleased the” grab-a-sandwich” tribe. And why not, it is lighter, flaky and tastier with 15 minute flat baking time, with a good recipe in your hand, you can not go hungry !

Scones rely largely on ambient temperature of the ingredients, key is to keep everything cold and working quickly on dough, sugar can be adjusted according to one’s taste, and if you are in mood for something savoury, then throw lots of fresh herbs and some cheese. Else you can enjoy them with your favourite jam or crème fraîche or clotted cream if you are that lucky.

This is very basic scone recipe, go easy with cream and if you want to substitute it with milk, be my guest ! Dates, dried berries, fruits anything that excites you to flavour the scones, enjoy it in your own way !

Hope you will love it

Good Day !

Sukanya