Gemma’s Best-Ever Irish Scones

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE: The Best-Ever Irish Scones recipe that’s as authentic as it gets — I’m Irish, so you’ve come to the authority on the subject. Moist, dense, lightly sweet, these are the best ever.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 2/18/2024, to include new photography, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and more Pro Chef Tips.

This is a very special recipe, one that has been frequently requested and highly anticipated. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, I finally perfected my Best-Ever Irish Scones recipe! These are the most authentic Irish Scones around as they are quite literally a revamped recreation of what I grew up within Ireland similar to my Traditional Irish Soda Bread & Simple White Irish Soda Bread recipes.

To me, Irish soda bread and scones are all about texture. My Best-Ever Scones have all of the signs of what a scone should be: a crunchy, crackly exterior, a moist and dense interior, and a lightly sweet flavor. Overall a bite of these should feel like a big hug!

My Best-Ever Irish Scones, along with my Best-Ever Banana Bread and my Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies, are a tried and true recipe that will quickly become your go-to. Just like a flakey biscuit, scones are made of flour, butter, sugar, egg, and milk.

Table Of Contents

• What are Irish Scones?
• Tools For Best-Ever Irish Scones
• Ingredients of Best-Ever Irish Scones
• How To Make Best-Ever Irish Scones?
• FAQs
• Why Use Frozen Butter?
• How to Store Best-Ever Irish Scones?
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Get More Irish Recipes!

What Are Irish Scones?

Irish Scones are heaven on Earth, and straight out of my childhood in Ireland. They’re scones that have a lightly sweet crust and a wonderfully moist center served with cream, butter, or jam. Bonus points if they’re all homemade! They’re also traditionally round, not triangular like you’d find in the States.

If you need help making them, check out my step-by-step Best-Ever Irish Scones recipe video below.

Tools For Best-Ever Irish Scones

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl
• Small bowl
• Whisk
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Cookie Cutter
• Wire Rack

Ingredients of Best-Ever Irish Scones

• Self-raising flour
  • Hard to find? Make it with all-purpose flour (or plain flour) with baking powder using my Self-Raising Flour recipe.
• Butter
  • FROZEN butter (salted is preferred for more flavor) contains colder water (than non-frozen butter) which will evaporate during baking to help scones rise and create layers.
• Baking powder
  • This helps scones rise high and turn out airy.
• Sugar
  • It adds sweetness to scones. Use a substitute if needed from The Best Sugar Substitutes for Baking & Free Substitutes Chart.
• Raisins
  • They’re sweet and soft. Feel free to go with your favorites!
• Milk
  • I use full-fat/whole milk. Any milk of your choice will work here. (Adjust it accordingly to get the same consistency dough as the video. )
• Eggs
  • Beaten eggs enhance texture and enrich the flavor. Check out this guide 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes & How to Use Them for substitute in scones.

How to Make Best-Ever Irish Scones?

If you’re looking for a traditional, authentic, and flat-out simple Irish scone recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how you make them (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

• Prepare the oven and flour:
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (210°C).
  • Add self-raising flour to a large bowl.
• Grate frozen butter:
  • Grate the frozen butter into the bowl. Frozen butter is my secret ingredient here, and I explain why in the next section. 
  • Alternatively using a pastry cutter, cut/rub the butter into the flour until fully crumbed and resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add your fix-ins: Stir in raisins, baking powder, and sugar.
• Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs and milk in a separate small bowl, add to the flour mix bowl, and stir until a soft dough is formed.
• Press and cut: On a floured surface, press the scones and then cut them out with a cookie cutter. Combine the leftover dough and repeat until you’ve used it all up.
• Bake the Irish scones:
  • Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking tray and brush the top with egg wash.
  • Bake at 425°F (210°C) for roughly 22-26 minutes until golden brown.
• Serve the scones: Once the scones are cooled, add butter, jam, and clotted cream.

Why Use Frozen Butter?

While these Best-Ever Irish Scones taste like they are made in a real Irish Bakery, they are so easy to make. The key to them is really that they are made 100% by hand.

In one bowl, I grate frozen butter into the flour.You can also do this whenever you have time and freeze butter curls.  This is the trick to making these the biggest and boldest scones. Grating the butter makes a huge difference in the texture of the scones — it creates pockets of butter throughout and adds loads of air and texture to the finished scones.

How to Store Best-Ever Irish Scones?

Store Best-Ever Irish Scones in an airtight container at room temperature (76°F/24°C) for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze scones for up to 2 months. For best results, defrost in a warm oven (300°F/150°C) until heated through.

FAQs

Can you use whole wheat flour for making scones?

• Yes, although your results will be denser so I recommend using up to half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour to reduce the density and the bitter aftertaste.

Why do scones call for so much baking powder?

• Baking powder is a very important raising agent for this recipe since it leavens the whole recipe mixture instead of just flour. Therefore, with all other heavy ingredients involved, it’s necessary to use a lot of baking powder to give the scones a decent rise.
• You can reduce it but your results will be denser.

What Can I Add to My Scones?

• After grating in the cold butter, and mixing in the rest of the dry ingredients starting with sweet raisins and followed by the eggs and milk, you can get creative and add in any other mix-ins you like. From adding fresh berries like in my Fresh Blueberry Scones to chocolate chips, you can make so many variations with this recipe.
• Check out my other scone recipes, too: Easy Chocolate Chip Scones, Simple Raspberry Scones, Chocolate Scones, and Pizza Scones.

What shape should Best-Ever Irish Scones be?

• Once the dough has come together, I roll the dough out and cut them into lovely rounds, only American scones are triangles. I can’t even tell you how nostalgic these scones make me feel.

How to serve Best-Ever Irish Scones?

• After baking, I love to top these with jam and fresh whipped cream. If you happen to have my homemade Microwave Jam or clotted cream, even better!
• If you’ve ever wondered How to Make Clotted Cream you have to check out this recipe!

St. Patrick’s Day or not, these are sure to become a family favorite! Also, don’t miss my other traditional Irish recipes.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

1. What’s the secret of soft and airy Best-Ever Irish Scones?  

While mixing the ingredients, set your strong hand ready into a “claw shape” to pull your dough gently around, in order to get a light and airy result instead of an overly-dense and toughened one. Add in more liquid as needed JUST until the dough comes together and forms a ball.

2. What can be substituted for egg wash? 

Brush scones’ top with leftover liquid (milk and egg mixture) from making the dough! You can also use melted butter (slightly cooled ), milk or yogurt.

3. Can I freeze individual raw scones?

Yes, once the dough is proofed and cut into individual scones, you can freeze them as needed. When it’s time to bake, take them out of the freezer to defrost at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes then bake at 425°F (210°C) for roughly 22-26 minutes or until golden brown all over on the outside. 

Get More Irish Recipes:

• My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake
• Authentic Irish Potato Farls
• My Mum’s Authentic Irish Apple Crumble
• Traditional Irish Barmbrack
• Authentic Irish Apple Amber Pie
• Aunty Rosaleen’s Irish Christmas Cake

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 2/18/2024, to include new photography, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and more Pro Chef Tips.

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