A Short History of Scones (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of scones? ›

Though it isn't certain, many believe that scones originated in Scotland in the 16th century. Scones can be traced back to another "quick bread," called bannocks.

Scones are traditionally Irish, Scottish, and English foods. However, nobody knows which of these countries invented the baked food. As far as history can trace back, Scones probably originate from Scotland. Yes, the first print reference dates back to 1513 and is from a Scottish poet.

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent. The main differences are that scones tend to have less butter (because you'll add butter to it when you eating it — or else, clotted cream or jam) while American biscuits tend to have more butter and light layers.

noun. skɒnskəʊn a light plain doughy cake made from flour with very little fat, cooked in an oven or (esp originally) on a griddle, usually split open and buttered. skɒn a slang word for head.

Thus, scone may derive from the Middle Dutch schoonbrood (fine white bread), from schoon (pure, clean) and brood (bread), or it may also derive from the Scots Gaelic term sgonn, meaning a shapeless mass or large mouthful.

For those in Commonwealth countries — England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Wales, and so forth — the word biscuit signifies something most Americans would call a cookie, and a scone is, well, something similar to an American biscuit: round, bready, and only slightly sweet.

The closest British baked good to a Canadian biscuit is a scone. Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent. In Canada, we call them biscuits because we usually eat them with gravy or jam—or sometimes both!

"Scones are typically made using a quick bread method with a higher ratio of liquid to flour, and sometimes no butter at all," says Snyder. In contrast, biscuits have a high ratio of butter, and the lamination process needed to achieve flaky layers is a key differentiator to scones.

If a Full Scottish isn't for you, you can pop your tattie scone in a bread roll (known as a morning roll here!) with other breakfast items, or eat straight from the toaster with a slather of butter. Finally, some people even enjoy theirs with butter and jam, like traditional scones.

If you're in the U.S., a biscuit is a round, flaky, buttery piece of leavened bread. In the U.K. a biscuit is a crisp cookie often enjoyed at tea time. A scone is a quick bread that is denser than a biscuit and can be either savory or sweet. Scones come in many shapes, like round or triangular.

What do British call crackers? ›

In British English, crackers are sometimes called water biscuits, or savoury biscuits.

Hard or crisp cookies are called biscuits in the U.K. while the chewier dessert can be identified as a cookie.

Scones and Gravy: The English Equivalent

In England, the closest counterpart to biscuits and gravy would be scones and gravy.

The earliest scones were unleavened and typically made with oats and milk. They were often cooked on a griddle and served with butter, jam, honey, or clotted cream. Today, scones are made with all sorts of ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder etc.

The Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny symbolized the power of the Scottish monarchy, as it was used to crown the kings of Scotland. It later became a symbol of British rule over Scotland when it was taken and moved to Westminster Abbey in London.

Scones originate from the Scottish 'bannock', which is derived from the Gaelic for cake and made using a thin, round, flat combination of oats and wheat flour. #7. No need to overknead! Scones only require light kneading otherwise they won't rise and you'll lose that light, fluffy texture.

The reason scones are called biscuits in America is likely because the recipe to make Southern biscuits is similar to those used to make hardtack. Hardtack is a dense cracker or biscuit made of similar ingredients, but no dairy.