The best way to eat a scone, according to an afternoon tea expert (2024)

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The best way to eat a scone, according to an afternoon tea expert? ›

'To have your scones at their best, eat them while they are still warm. This ensures that they are still light and fluffy. ' He also swears by the 2:1:1 rule - in other words the scone:jam:cream ratio.

Scoop out clotted cream and jams onto your plate, enough for one scone. Break apart a small bite-sized portion of scone with your hands or if using a knife, cut the scone horizontally. Use a knife to slather on cream and jam onto the broken-off piece of scone. The bite-sized piece of scone should be eaten in 1-2 bites.

According to research, what's widely known as the “Devon method” is putting your clotted cream on first and covering that up with jam whereas the “Cornish method” involves spreading your scone with strawberry jam and then topping that layer with clotted cream.

Watch now: How to correctly eat a scone

So when it comes to the big question of jam or cream first you would imagine her is the definitive answer. And now her head chef Chris Tombling has revealed that at Buckingham Palace the cream is always smeared onto the scone first, followed by a good dollop of jam.

Start by dressing the scone with cream then jam or vice versa. Use a knife to spread enough cream and jam on a small bite. Choose either the Devon or the Cornish way. If you want to be like the Queen, go with the Cornish method.

Usually consisting of a selection of teas, freshly prepared finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and pastries with all the trimmings, a light Afternoon Tea should allow for 4 sandwiches, 2 scones and 2 cakes (of different varieties) per person.

Scones are a British afternoon tea staple and they're delicious served with jam and clotted cream. Not quite cake, but not really a biscuit or pastry either, scones have a unique texture that's entirely their own. Scones are traditionally made with flour, butter, sugar and milk, but where did the recipe originate from?

'Firstly they should always be nice and toasty,' he said. 'To have your scones at their best, eat them while they are still warm. This ensures that they are still light and fluffy.

In the UK, scones are a common accompaniment with afternoon tea, and they are frequently enjoyed with clotted cream and sometimes jam, too. It is their interesting texture that makes them so delicious and alluring. They aren't pastries or biscuits but are not cakes as well.

Well, according to Darren McGrady, a former chef who worked for the Royal Family for over 10 years, the Queen prefered jam first. He tweeted: “The Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.”

What is the difference between an American scone and a British scone? ›

American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.

Ask the Cornish, and they will tell you that the whole point of cream tea is to have freshly-baked (hopefully still warm) scones, with jam first and clotted cream on top. Ask a Devonian, and they'll tell you it's cream first and jam on top.

A well-made scone can be pulled apart with the fingers. Dense scones will need to be sliced with a knife. Larger saucer-sized scones found in the Southwest counties of England might need to be broken again into quarters – just so you won't look too hungry at teatime.

The purpose of a British scone is to be a lofty, feathery vehicle for jam and clotted cream and, above all, an accompaniment to tea.

Secondly (and perhaps most importantly), scones should always be served fresh, preferably straight out of the oven. If you must reheat your scones, then you should only ever do so in a pre-heated oven and NEVER the microwave.

According to him, there is a CORRECT way of scoffing your scones to ensure you have the ultimate eating experience. 'Firstly they should always be nice and toasty,' he said. 'To have your scones at their best, eat them while they are still warm. This ensures that they are still light and fluffy.

What's the best way to re-heat scones? If you want to eat them warm place in an oven preheated to 150c/300F for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also reheat them in a microwave if you prefer. Once defrosted put them in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds on high.

etiquette dictates that scones, biscuits and other treats should never be dunked into your tea. childish behavior. Instead, enjoy bites of your scones between sips of tea.