Scones are such a traditional bake in England but despite them being such a staple in our food culture, there’s a lot to argue about! Whether you’re a cream or jam first kind of person, and whether you rhyme them with cone or gone, at least we can all agree that they’re delicious!
These gluten-free scones are just like their wheat-based cousins so there’s no need to worry that you’re going to miss out. And no scone is complete without some clotted cream and jam so I’ve included my favourite go-to strawberry jam recipe for you too!
One thing to note about this bake is that, unlike ‘normal’ scone dough, this one doesn’t like to rise too much in the oven so it is very important to cut them to the size that you want them to be when you eat them. Of course this does mean you use up a lot of dough to shape them to size so if you’re planning an afternoon tea party then I would recommend doubling the recipe!
They’re such an easy bake to make and the key to the perfect scone is to be very quick! Once you’ve made the classic ‘crumbs’ from the dry ingredients and butter (keep it cold), you bring the mixture together by adding the wet ingredients. The dough requires no kneading whatsoever – in fact handle it as little as possible! The scones are cut into thick round shapes and then baked in a hot oven. So simple!
My strawberry jam recipe is a huge favourite with my family and goes down very well with those I gift it to at Christmas-time. It’s the perfect accompaniment to these delicious buttery scones!
This recipe makes approximately 10 scones and a 500 ml jar of strawberry jam. The jam can be made well ahead of time and takes about 40 mins to make. The scones are best on the day they are baked and take roughly 20 mins to make.
Ingredients:
For the scones:
- 300 g gluten-free self-raising flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 50 g caster sugar
- 50 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 100 ml whole milk
- 50 g plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 egg (plus extra for the egg wash)
For the strawberry jam:
- 400 g strawberries, chopped into quarters
- 350 g preserving sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Useful Equipment: two baking trays, mixing bowls, wooden spoon or spatula, 6 cm circle cutter, pastry brush, medium saucepan, small plate, 500 ml or 2 x 250 ml preserving jar (e.g. Kilner).
Sterilising your jars: Before making the jam, make sure that your preserving jars are sterilised. You can do this by either washing them in the dishwasher or by hand washing with plenty of soap and hot water and then drying out in the oven on a low heat (160 °C). Make sure that you take off the rubber seals beforehand, wash them separately and do not put them in the oven with the jars.
Method:
To make the scones:
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C fan/400 °F and place the two baking trays in the oven to preheat.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum (if needed) and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
- Add the cubed butter and, using your fingers, rub into the dry mix creating a breadcrumb-like texture.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the milk, yoghurt and lemon juice.
- Form a well in the dry mixture and add the wet mixture. Combine to form a dough. If it’s too sticky to pick up add a little flour until smooth. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add milk a little at a time until the right consistency is reached.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and bring together (try to work it as little as possible). Flatten to about 4 or 5 cm thick and using a 5-6 cm cutter, cut out your scones and place them on the preheated baking tray.
- Beat a little egg together for the egg wash. Brush over the top of the scones and you can even sprinkle a bit of sugar over them if you like them sweeter.
- Bake in the hot oven for 10-12 mins until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack (but they are best enjoyed fresh from the oven!).
To make the jam:
- Make sure that you have sterilised jars on hand for the amount of jam you are making (see tip above).
- Place a small plate in the freezer. You will use this later to test whether the jam has reached its setting point.
- Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and mix to make sure all of the fruit is coated in the sugar. TIP: If you prefer a smoother jam, you can used a masher to break down the strawberries to a rough puree-like consistency.
- Heat the mixture on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar starts to dissolve, bring to a boil and let it boil for 5 mins.
- At this point, start testing for the setting point by putting a small tsp of jam on the plate from the freezer. Once the jam has cooled, poke it with your finger; if it wrinkles distinctly then it’s done. If it can be pushed around without any resistance, continue to boil for another 2 mins before testing again. Repeat this until you reach the setting point.
- Once reached, leave the jam to cool in the pan slightly (about 15 mins) before decanting into your jars.
Easy homemade scones in less than half an hour – it doesn’t get much better than that right? And once you’ve tasted this homemade strawberry jam, you’ll never go back to shop bought!
These scones will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container but are much better eaten on the day they are baked. You can also freeze them but I advise giving them a little warm up in the oven (once defrosted) before serving. The jam will last up to 3 months in a sealed preserving jar and up to 3 weeks once opened. I highly recommend making a big batch and storing in smaller containers so that you always have some tasty homemade jam available!
Now the only question is, jam or cream first?
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