Best British Herb Scones Biscuits Recipes

AUTHENTIC BRITISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425F.
• In a medium bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to break up the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the milk slowly, mixing as you add, using enough of the milk to get your dough to come together with no lumps remaining. (Your dough should be quite sticky. If a good consistency is not achieved with the listed amount of milk, continue adding until your dough reaches a good consistency.)
• Spoon the dough out until a well-floured surface. Generously dust the top of the dough and knead the dough 2-3 times to coat it with flour and smooth the surface. Press the dough into a round that is roughly 1 inch thick.
• Using a well-floured cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2 inch circles. (Be sure to press the cookie cutter straight down and up. Twisting the cookie cutter will impact the amount of rise you get on your scones.)
• Place the rounds onto a greased and floured baking sheet. Brush them gently with the egg yolk and milk mixture.
• Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, until golden and firm.
• Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes (if you can resist). If you like softer scones, cover them with a clean tea towel as they cool.

MASTER RECIPE FOR BISCUITS AND SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or baking mat, or use a nonstick pan.
• Toss dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub butter and flour mixture together just until butter pieces are the size of peas and covered with flour. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in cream. Mix ingredients together by hand until a shaggy dough is formed. (The mixture may seem drier than typical biscuit dough.)
• Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead dough together just until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
• Pat dough into a 3/4- to 1-inch-thick rough rectangle shape. Use your hands if you like a nice bumpy top; for smooth tops, use a rolling pin, pressing lightly. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut across into 8 or 12 rectangles or squares. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced out.
• Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until light golden brown, about 22 minutes; rotate the pan front to back halfway through. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat within 24 hours.

BASIC BRITISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and enough milk to mix to a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly and roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with milk to glaze.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter or clotted cream and jam.

HERB-CHEDDAR SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Toss butter in flour mixture to evenly coat, then press between your fingers until mixture has the texture of coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. In another bowl, whisk together cream and eggs.
• Make a well in flour mixture; add egg mixture, cheddar, scallions, and dill. Stir together with a fork until dough begins to form but mixture is still crumbly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead just to combine (do not overwork). Pat out 1/2 inch thick. With a floured 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds, as closely together as possible; place on prepared sheet. Gather scraps; pat out again and repeat.
• Brush tops with cream; sprinkle with more dill and scallions. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

BRITISH HERB SCONES (BISCUITS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Lightly grease a baking tray and dust it with flour.
• Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.
• Add butter to the bowl, toss briefly through the flour, then rub it in with your (preferably cold) fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the herbs.
• Start adding the milk, mixing initially with a spatula or palette knife, and then when the dough starts to come together, with a quick light hand.
• You are aiming for a soft, unsticky dough which leaves the sides of the bowl clean; you may not need all the milk – if, however, the dough seems a bit dry, add a teaspoon more milk at a time.
• Be careful not to add too much milk, and do not overwork the dough.
• Shape the dough into a round with your hands and place on a lightly floured surface.
• Flour the rolling pin, then lightly roll out the dough to a thickness of a half-inch.
• Stamp out 2” rounds with a biscuit cutter.
• When you are left with the trimmings, bring these together and roll out again lightly, and continue stamping out rounds until you have cut out the last scone.
• Lay the scones on the prepared tray, and brush the tops lightly with the extra milk.
• Bake 10 – 12 minutes until well risen and lightly browned.
• Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Serve as suggested above, and store any left over in the freezer, to be gently re-warmed later in a microwave oven.

MAKEOVER BRITISH SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; add to crumb mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a floured surface; gently knead 6-8 times., Pat dough into a 6-in. circle. Cut into eight wedges. Separate wedges and place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack. Serve warm.

SAVOURY BRITISH BISCUITS

Steps:

• Ingredient weights are DRY weights, not fluid ounces.
• Place flour and mustard in a bowl.
• Add butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in cheeses, and then add the peanut butter and egg and mix well.
• Roll out on a floured work surface to ¼ inch thick, cut out with a 2 inch biscuit cutter or into assorted shapes.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 200ºC/ 400ºF/ Gas Mark 6 for 10-15 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Store in an airtight container or cookie tin at room temperature.