I made Mary Berry's easy scones in under 30 minutes and they're the perfect afternoon treat

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Chloe PantaziJun 7, 2023, 22:05 IST
I made Mary Berry's easy scones in under 30 minutes and they're the perfect afternoon treat

I made Mary Berry's scones and thought they were worthy of a Hollywood handshake.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider / Karwai Tang/Getty Images

  • I made Mary Berry's scones in under 30 minutes.
  • They were quick and easy to make, and there were no soggy bottoms in sight.

As a Brit living in the US, whenever I get homesick I watch a British murder mystery (there are too many to name one), or put on an episode of "The Great British Baking Show."

If it's the latter, it's usually not long before I'm sweating over the oven to make something that'll taste like home.

So when I hosted a Eurovision watch party this May, and wanted to bake something British to match the theme, I turned to a recipe that's become a favorite: Mary Berry's scones.

The former "Bake Off" judge has a foolproof recipe, published by the BBC. It's hard to screw up, and almost impossible to end up with a soggy bottom.

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To make Mary Berry's scones, first preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease two baking trays (I used butter). Then, gather your ingredients.

To make Mary Berry's scones, first preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease two baking trays (I used butter). Then, gather your ingredients.
What you'll need to make Mary Berry's scones.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

To make Mary Berry's scones, you'll need the following ingredients. (I've converted the measurements from Berry's recipe for American readers.)

  • 3 3/4 cups of self-rising flour
  • 2 tsps baking powder
  • 4 tbsps granulated sugar
  • A little over 7 tbsps of butter, softened and cut into cubes
  • 2 eggs
  • Milk (the recipe calls for "a little," so I just poured some into a small jug)
  • A handful of raisins (optional)

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and sugar, then the butter.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and sugar, then the butter.
The butter goes into the bowl with flour, sugar, and baking powder.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I gave the flour, sugar, and baking powder a quick whisk before adding my butter, which I made sure had softened before throwing it into the bowl.

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Then, you'll need to get your hands dirty. Berry's recipe calls for rubbing the butter, flour, sugar, and baking powder together with your fingers.

Then, you'll need to get your hands dirty. Berry's recipe calls for rubbing the butter, flour, sugar, and baking powder together with your fingers.
I booked my manicure for the next day.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

This part was the only bit that really required much effort.

You'll want to keep rubbing the ingredients together until a breadcrumb-like mixture forms. It took me a couple of minutes to get to this.

You'll want to keep rubbing the ingredients together until a breadcrumb-like mixture forms. It took me a couple of minutes to get to this.
The mix should look like breadcrumbs.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I gave the bowl a little shake at intervals to let any clumps rise to the top, and then worked at them until the mixture looked as close to breadcrumbs as I could get it.

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Then, plop your eggs into a measuring jug and add milk. You'll want to keep pouring until the mixture can fill 1.25 cups.

Then, plop your eggs into a measuring jug and add milk. You'll want to keep pouring until the mixture can fill 1.25 cups.
The milk and egg mixture is a classic.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Then, give it a good whisk with a fork (or mini whisk, if you have one).

When your egg-milk blend looks something like this, pour some of it into the bowl containing the flour blend. Only add enough egg and milk to yield "a soft, sticky dough."

When your egg-milk blend looks something like this, pour some of it into the bowl containing the flour blend. Only add enough egg and milk to yield "a soft, sticky dough."
You'll need to mix until the yolk is blended in.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Make sure you mix it as you go.

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I poured a few glugs of the egg-milk mixture into the bowl at a time and stirred as I went, to ensure I didn't add too much.

I poured a few glugs of the egg-milk mixture into the bowl at a time and stirred as I went, to ensure I didn't add too much.
This bit requires a smidge of attention.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I felt the mixture with my hands at points, and added more of the mixture if the dough felt too dry.

I added about three-quarters of my egg-milk mixture to the dough until it looked like this.

I added about three-quarters of my egg-milk mixture to the dough until it looked like this.
The dough shouldn't be dry to the touch.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

When it stuck to my fingers, it was ready.

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I lightly floured my kitchen counter and turned out the dough, working the raisins into it as I kneaded it gently.

I lightly floured my kitchen counter and turned out the dough, working the raisins into it as I kneaded it gently.
At this point, it was tempting to try to make one giant scone.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

This part got therapeutic, but I made sure I didn't overhandle the dough. And if you're not keen on raisins, you don't need them.

You'll need to roll out the dough into a rectangle that's 3/4-inch thick.

You'll need to roll out the dough into a rectangle that's 3/4-inch thick.
No rolling pin? No problem!Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

If, like me, you're an adult who doesn't own a rolling pin, I've found you can substitute pretty much any large (and clean) bottle. In my pandemic baking era, a Svedka vodka bottle was my go-to baking tool.

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Use a fluted, 2-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into scones. If you don't have a cutter, a Mason jar lid or similarly shaped object will do.

Use a fluted, 2-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into scones. If you don't have a cutter, a Mason jar lid or similarly shaped object will do.
You'll want to start close to the edge.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I know what you're thinking. How does a person who doesn't own a rolling pin have a fluted cookie cutter?

It's simple, really. One of these objects fits into my kitchen drawers and one doesn't.

Carefully place the unbaked scones onto your baking trays, and give them a brush with the milk-egg wash. Then pop them in the oven.

Carefully place the unbaked scones onto your baking trays, and give them a brush with the milk-egg wash. Then pop them in the oven.
Don't forget the egg wash!Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I almost forgot to brush on the milk-egg mixture, which gives the scones a nice, glossy shine when they come out of the oven.

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Berry says to bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they're "a pale golden-brown" color.

Berry says to bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they're "a pale golden-brown" color.
They shouldn't be too dark.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Every oven is different so I put a 12-minute timer on, then checked the scones. They were still a bit too pale, so I popped them back in and set 1-minute timers until they were closer to golden brown.

If you've ever watched "Bake Off," you'll know a mere minute can make or break a bake. At 14 minutes, my scones were looking good.

Carefully transfer the scones from your baking trays to a wire cooling rack. While your scones cool, get your toppings ready.

Carefully transfer the scones from your baking trays to a wire cooling rack. While your scones cool, get your toppings ready.
Don't leave them in the pan, or you could end up with burnt bottoms.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Lifting them out of the tray, I was pleased to see the bottoms of the scones weren't too pale or burned and were the golden hue I was looking for.

And the tops had a slight sheen on them, thanks to that all-important egg wash.

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Sorry to anyone who likes American scones (for many reasons), but British scones aren't meant to be eaten dry — they should be slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Sorry to anyone who likes American scones (for many reasons), but British scones aren't meant to be eaten dry — they should be slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
The final product.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Still, in the name of journalism, I bit into a scone without any toppings. It was light, but not too crumbly or dense, in texture. And when I bit into a raisin, I found they added a nice chewiness and hint of sweetness.

Of course I cannot, in good conscience, encourage eating a dry scone. Onto the toppings!

Finding good strawberry jam is easy, but clotted cream isn't widely available in the US. So I made a faux version with just three ingredients.

Finding good strawberry jam is easy, but clotted cream isn't widely available in the US. So I made a faux version with just three ingredients.
You just need three ingredients.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

It was easy to find my favorite jam, Bonne Maman's Strawberry Preserves, at my local Acme. But I couldn't find clotted cream in any stores near me in Philadelphia and had the same problem when I lived in New York City.

That's because clotted cream is made with unpasteurized milk, which is prohibited from being sold in some states; the CDC says the legal sale of raw or unpasteurized milk has previously been linked to "a higher incidence of related disease outbreaks."

While I'd be willing to roll the dice if I could find clotted cream, if you don't want to or can't find it in your home state, there's a dupe! And it tastes close enough to the real thing.

I found a great recipe for mock clotted cream from the blog Confessions of a Baking Queen, run by Elizabeth Waterson, who says she has 15 years of restaurant-industry experience.

Her recipe calls for:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese (softened at room temperature)
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The Confessions of a Baking Queen recipe calls for beating heavy cream and confectioner's sugar in an electric stand mixer or hand mixer "until medium to stiff peaks form."

The Confessions of a Baking Queen recipe calls for beating heavy cream and confectioner's sugar in an electric stand mixer or hand mixer "until medium to stiff peaks form."
It needs a good mix.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I don't have a stand mixer (the dream), so I used my trusty hand mixer. You could do it by hand but you would be tired, or really showing off.

Once the cream and sugar mix formed peaks, I folded in the mascarpone cheese with a spoon until it was just combined.

Once the cream and sugar mix formed peaks, I folded in the mascarpone cheese with a spoon until it was just combined.
The mixture should have stiff peaks.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I'd whipped the heavy cream and sugar on the heaviest setting of my hand mixer for about three minutes before I added the mascarpone.

Waterson warns not to mix the mascarpone in with the whipped cream and sugar "with too much power," lest it deflates the cream.

She adds that you can keep the clotted cream in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container. I found it kept well during that time frame.

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I served the scones with jam and the mock clotted cream, and assembled a few to show my friends the right way to eat a British scone: jam on the bottom, cream on top.

I served the scones with jam and the mock clotted cream, and assembled a few to show my friends the right way to eat a British scone: jam on the bottom, cream on top.
Now, you just need a cup of tea.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

There's some debate about the order of events when it comes to eating scones. Jam or clotted cream first?

For me, there's no question. I'm jam first all the way. The cream looks nicer on top, and it's more pleasant to bite into a dollop of cream than it is to stick your teeth into a glob of jam. This is also how the late Queen Elizabeth II ate her scones, so it must be correct.

Berry is a jam-first lady as well.

"Personally, I would put jam on first, with cream on top," she told Varsity, the University of Cambridge's newspaper, in 2017. "But do what you want."

The order "depends on whether you live in Devon or Cornwall," she added. The two English counties are known for their distinctive scone style: In Devon, it's cream then jam, and the Cornish way is jam then cream.

There's even a debate about how to say the word scone properly; we're big fans of pointless debates in the UK. I pronounce it "scone" to rhyme with "con," but many people (incorrectly, I said it) pronounce it like "stone."

The scones had a light texture and were divine topped with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream. To me, they tasted like home.

The scones had a light texture and were divine topped with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream. To me, they tasted like home.
The scones were delicious, even with the jam on top of the cream (though it was messier to eat that way).Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Biting into the scones with jam and cream — to be fair, I had one half of a scone with jam then cream on top and the other the opposite way around — they were delicious, no matter which way you eat them.

Still, I stand firm that the Cornish way (jam first, then cream) is superior. It was worth the extra effort to make the mock clotted cream; without it, the scones wouldn't have felt complete.

The scones tasted delicious, and rivaled the ones I had at afternoon tea with my mum on a recent visit to the UK. It took me back, and made me feel like I was home.

And even though Eurovision was a bust, the scones were a hit at my watch party. My friends loved them, and so did my husband; the few leftovers we had didn't last long.

If Paul Hollywood had been at my Eurovision party, I like to think I would've gotten a handshake.

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