Irish Scones
Inside: Discover two methods for cutting Irish scones and why you never want to twist or drag through the scone dough.
These Irish scones are everything a scone should be—rich, buttery, lightly sweet and perfectly tender with a delicate crumb that practically melts in your mouth. You’ll love them whether enjoyed warm with jam and cream or simply with a pat of Irish butter. This Irish scones recipe is easy to make and impossible to resist.
Irish Scones are a delight for breakfast or an afternoon tea with butter and jam. These buttery, flaky rounds are lightly sweet, speckled with raisins and are so tender, they melt in your mouth.
You can assemble the dough in about 15 minutes and they’re best enjoyed hot from the oven.
Serve with a cup of tea, coffee or even a Baileys Irish Cream Coffee (Irish Mocha Latte) for a real treat.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s made with wholesome, everyday ingredients.
- Makes a small batch, (about 6-8 scones) depending on the size of your cutter.
- It only takes 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Irish scones are delicious for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up and go great with everything from Irish Lamb Stew to Tender Glazed Corned Beef.
Ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour–I like King Arthur’s Unbleached All Purpose Flour.
- Granulated Sugar–you don’t need a lot, but the sugar adds sweetness and promotes browning.
- Baking Powder–helps the scones rise.
- Salt–to balance the flavors.
- Irish Butter–can’t have Irish scones without using Irish butter. The fat content of Irish and European butter (82%) is more than American butter (80%), therefore richer and let’s be honest–it’s just better. Irish butter is softer even when chilled, which is why I freeze it before using it in this recipe.
- Golden Raisins–you can also use regular raisins, but I’ve always preferred the golden ones and they don’t give as much of a contrast in the biscuit.
- Whole Milk–adds richness to the crumb and promotes browning.
- Eggs–one egg helps to ensure a tender scone and the other is for an egg wash to make the tops of the Irish scones golden and pretty.
- Water–needed for the egg wash.
- Sparkling Sugar–optional, but I like to add a sprinkle of coarse sanding sugar to add a crunchy texture to the tops as garnish.
Step-by-step instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Add raisins, separating any clumps and tossing them evenly into the flour mixture.
3. Grate the Irish butter using the large holes of a box grater. (I like to freeze the butter for about 5 minutes before grating so it doesn’t melt in my hands and freeze another 5 minutes after grating to ensure it’s as firm as possible for more steam and rise in the scones).
4. Toss the butter into the flour mixture and gently crumble the butter into the flour with your fingertips so it’s pea sized and evenly distributed.
5. Whisk together an egg and the milk in a small bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk and egg mixture.
6. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the dough until it just starts to come together.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 2-3 times until it’s smooth and can be patted into a disc, about 1-1½” thick. Note: the dough will be soft and sticky, therefore using floured hands is helpful.
8. Use a biscuit cutter (from 1¾ to 2¼” in diameter that’s been dipped in flour) to cut dough rounds by pressing straight down and not twisting the cutter. Re-roll any scraps into another disc and continue to form Irish scones with the cutter.
9. Whisk together the remaining egg and water to make an egg wash and brush it over the tops of each scone with a pastry brush.
10. Finish the Irish scones with a sprinkle of sanding sugar (coarse sparkling sugar). It will stick to the tops thanks to the egg wash.
11. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 14-16 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Serve with Irish butter, clotted cream and/or jam.
Pro-Tips:
- Ensure all the ingredients are chilled. The colder the ingredients the better rise you’ll get, therefore they should be kept very cold.
- Freezing the butter Irish butter has more fat than U.S. butter and melts faster in your hands; therefore, I freeze the butter before grating, so it doesn’t make a mess and after grating to ensure the biscuits have a flaky rise.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Just two or three kneads, until the dough comes together is enough. Too much handling makes for a tougher crumb.
- Press straight down with the biscuit cutter to cut the scones and don’t twist. Twisting or dragging seals the sides of the dough and impedes its rising.
- If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, arrange the scone dough into one large disc (about 1½” thick) and use a bench scraper to cut the disc into 6-8 wedges (like cutting a pie). Don’t saw back and forth; cut straight down; avoid using a knife which will drag through the dough and seal the edges; you want to use a wide-flat plane to make the division.
Swaps and Variations:
- Swap dark Thompson raisins or substitute currants for the golden raisins.
- Add fresh lemon or orange zest (1-2 teaspoons) to the flour mixture for a brighter flavor.
- Stir in a teaspoon of caraway seed for a subtly sweet flavor that enhances the scones.
FAQs
The controversy over the pronunciation of “scones” is widespread, but this article from The Irish Post breaks it down. Most of Ireland uses a hard “o” sound. Scone like cone. Only the Northern Irish pronounce it “scone” like gone–likely influenced by Scots who emigrated there.
I concur. My Scottish grandmother always corrected me if I used the hard “o” when pronouncing it and I hope she’ll forgive me for sharing an Irish recipe for scones.
Irish scones tend to have less leavening, so they’re slightly flatter and they also contain less sugar than the English variety.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
Reheating:
- For the best flavor, I recommend reheating in a low 300° oven for 5-8 minutes, until the Irish scones are just warmed through.
Freezing:
- You can also freeze leftovers, wrapped in foil or freezer paper or a freezer-safe zip top bag for 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat to serve.
More scone recipes and biscuits you’ll love:
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones
- Southern Peach Scones
- Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Easy 3-Ingredient Drop Biscuits
Irish Scones
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- box grater optional
- 1 1¾" biscuit cutter
- pastry brush
INGREDIENTS:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Irish butter I used Kerrygold
- ½ cup golden raisins you can also use regular raisins or currants
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs divided
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar a.k.a. sanding sugar
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a ¼ sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut ¼ cup Irish butter into one block (4 tablespoons = ¼ cup) Place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add ½ cup golden raisins and toss so the raisins are lightly coated with flour and mixed evenly into the flour mixture.
- Use the large holes of the box grater to grate the frozen Irish butter. Transfer the butter to the flour mixture and toss it evenly throughout. Use your fingertips to break up the butter even further.
- Using a glass measuring cup measure ½ cup whole milk and add 1 large egg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the milk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Transfer the Irish scone dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 2-3 times until it comes together. (Don't overwork the dough). Pat the dough into a disk about 1-1½" thick.
- Use lightly floured 1½'-2" biscuit cutters to cut out rounds of dough. Do not twist the cutter, just cut straight down. Gather up scraps and reroll them into another disk and cut out the remaining scones.
- Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet.
- Whisk together the remaining egg and 2 tablespoons water. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with the egg mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar over the rounds and bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden and baked through.
- Serve immediately with extra Irish butter, clotted cream or creme fraiche and your favorite preserves, jam or marmalade.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NUTRITION:
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These are fantastic! I found “my scone” recipe. I was making them to go with corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. I made them with currants. They are so delicious, light, yet a little crispy. My family almost fought over the last ones. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m just printed the recipe to add to my recipe binder.