Scone

Ascone(/skɒn/SKONor/skoʊn/SKOHN) is a traditional British baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of eitherwheat flouroroatmeal, withbaking powderas aleavening agent, and baked onsheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionallyglazedwithegg wash.The scone is a basic component of thecream tea. It differs fromteacakesand other types of sweets that are made withyeast. Scones were chosen as theRepublic of Irelandrepresentative forCafé Europeduring theAustrianpresidency of theEuropean Unionin 2006, while the United Kingdom choseshortbread.
The pronunciation of the word within the English-speaking world varies, with some pronouncing it/skɒn/(rhymes with "gone"),and others/skoʊn/(rhymes with "tone").The dominant pronunciation differs by area. Pronunciation rhyming with "tone" is strongest in theEnglish MidlandsandRepublic of Ireland, though it seems to have less prominent patches inCornwallandEssex. The pronunciation rhyming with "gone" is strongest inNorthern EnglandandScotland, although this also seems to be the favoured pronunciation inSouthern England, theHome Counties, andEast Anglia.Natives of theRepublic of Irelandand the United States mainly use the/skoʊn/pronunciation.British dictionaries usually show the/skɒn/form as the preferred pronunciation, while recognising the/skoʊn/form.
The difference in pronunciation is alluded to in a poem:
TheOxford English Dictionaryreports that the first mention of the word was in 1513.
The origin of the wordsconeis obscure and may derive from several sources. That is, the classic Scottishscone, the Dutchschoonbrood(very similar to the drop scone), and possibly other similarly named quick breads may have made their way onto theBritish teatable, where their similar names merged into one.
Thus, The most widely accepted origin of 'scone' is the Scots Gaelic termsgonn, meaning a large lump or mass, reflecting its original form as a rustic, hand-shaped bread. Other proposed etymologies, such as Middle Dutchschoonbrood(fine white bread), are less commonly supported in linguistic studies. TheMiddle Low Germantermschöne, meaning fine bread, may also have played a role in the origination of this word.
On the other hand, Sheila MacNiven Cameron derives the word from the town ofScone(/skuːn/) (Scots:Scone,Scottish Gaelic:Sgàin) inScotland, the ancient capital whereScottish monarchswere crowned, and on whoseStone of Sconethe monarchs of the United Kingdom are still crowned today.
Whenbaking powderbecame available to the masses, scones began to be the oven-baked, well-leavened items we know today.The Yorkshire-based family bakery, Haywood & Padgett, was the first bakery to launch their scones in supermarkets in the UK in the late 1980s.Modern scones are now widely available in Britishbakeries,grocery stores, andsupermarkets. A 2005 market report estimated the UK scone market to be worth £64m, showing a 9% increase over the previous five years. The increase is partly due to an increasing consumer preference forimpulseandconvenience foods.
Scones sold commercially are usually round, although some brands arehexagonal, as this shape may betessellatedfor space efficiency. When prepared at home, they may take various shapes, including triangles, rounds and squares.Baking scones at home is often closely tied to heritage baking. They tend to be made using family recipes rather than recipe books, since it is often a family member who holds the "best" and most-treasured recipe.
In 2023, a West London woman completed a decade-long project to sample a scone at everyNational Trustlocation (244 sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland).Scones became a staple of afternoon tea in the early 19th century, a tradition popularized by Anna, Duchess of Bedford, who introduced the practice of enjoying scones with tea as a light refreshment between meals.
British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also besavoury. They frequently includeraisins,currants,cheeseordates. InScotlandandUlster, savoury varieties of scone includesoda scones, also known as sodafarls, sour dough scones known assoor dook sconesmade with sour milk, andpotato scones, normally known astattie scones, which resemble small, thin savourypancakesmade withpotato flour. Potato scones are most commonly served fried in afull Scottish breakfastor anUlster fry.
Thegriddle scone(or "girdle scone" inScots) is a variety of scone that is cooked on a griddle on the stove top rather than baked in the oven. This usage is also common inNew Zealand, where scones of all varieties form an important part of traditional colonialNew Zealand cuisine.
Other common varieties include thedropped scone, ordrop scone, like a pancake, after the method of dropping the batter onto the griddle or frying pan to cook it, and thelemonade scone, which is made withclear lemonadeand cream instead of butter and milk. The fruit scone or fruited scone contains currants, sultanas, peel and glacé cherries mixed into the dough. To achieve lightness and flakiness, scones may be made with cream instead of milk.
In some countries one may also encountersavouryvarieties of scone that may contain or be topped with combinations ofcheese,onion,bacon, etc.
Scones can be presented with various toppings and condiments, typically butter, jam and cream. Strawberries are also sometimes used.
Pumpkinscones, made by adding mashed cooked pumpkin to the dough mixture, had increased exposure during the period whenFlorence Bjelke-Petersenwas in the public eye.Date scones, which contain chopped dried dates, can also be found in Australia. Another old style of cooking scones, generally in the colder months, is to deep-fry or deep pan-fry them in dripping or oil; prepared this way, they are called "puftaloons".
In Hungary, a pastry very similar to the British version exists under the name "pogácsa". The name has been adopted by several neighbouring nations' languages. Pogácsa is almost always savoury and served with varied seasonings and toppings, like dill and cheese.
Norwegian scones may contain raisins and orange and lemon bits. Instead of using butter, like most scone recipes, Norwegian scones usecultured milkinstead.
Scones make up a part ofkiwiana, and are among the most popular recipes in theEdmonds Cookery Book,New Zealand's best-selling cook book.TheEdmondsrecipe is unsweetened, using only flour, baking powder, salt, butter and milk.Other ingredients such as cheese, sultanas and dates can be added.
Cheese scones are a popular snack sold incafesortea shops, where they are commonly served toasted with butter.
There's pastry called pagac in Slovakia, which is very similar to the scone. Most varieties are savoury, potato or cheese based.
Scones are commonly served with clotted cream and jam; grated cheddar cheese is another popular accompaniment.
Scones are quite popular inArgentinaas well asUruguay. They were brought there by Irish, English and Scottish immigrants and by Welsh immigrants in Patagonia (Britons are the third largest foreign community in Argentina).They are usually accompanied by tea, coffee ormate.
Unlike British scones, which are lighter and traditionally served with clotted cream and jam, American scones contain more butter and sugar, making them richer and intended to be eaten on their own. They are usually triangular, and often containfruitsuch asblueberriesorsultanas, or such flavorings as pumpkin,cinnamonor chocolate chips. They may also be topped with icing. They are often eaten as they are (not topped with butter, jam or cream), along with coffee or tea, and often appear inUS coffee houses. Americanbiscuitsare more similar to traditional British scones, but are usuallysavouryand served with savoury meals.
InIdahoandUtah, the bread products locally called "scones" are similar to Native Americanfrybreador New Orleansbeignetsand are made from a sweet yeast dough, with buttermilk and baking powder or soda added, and they are fried rather than baked. They are customarily served with butter and either honey or maple syrup.
InZimbabwescones are popular and often eaten for breakfast with English tea, jam and clotted cream. Originally brought to the country during its period of British colonial rule, the scone is sometimes seen as symbolic of the country's historic link to the UK that has become Zimbabweanified.