Irish Scones Recipes

IRISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add softened butter and sugar, mix well. Stir in milk or buttermilk. Also stir in raisins or dried fruit. Press dough onto a floured surface and roll out gently to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut scones into round shapes or triangles. Brush scones with egg wash for shine. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

ULTRA-BUTTERY IRISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk milk, granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut 10 Tbsp. butter into 1/2" cubes, add to flour mixture, and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until pea-size pieces form with some larger chunks remaining. Add milk mixture and stir with a fork until large clumps form. Gently knead in the bowl until dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14x8" rectangle, with long side facing you. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-proof bowl in the microwave until softened but not melted, about 20 seconds. Spread evenly over dough with fingertips, then sprinkle currants evenly on top and press to adhere. Fold up bottom third of dough over center, then fold down top third to meet bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Fold in half crosswise, then, using a rolling pin, gently flatten into an 8x4" rectangle.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise and in quarters crosswise to form 8 even squares. Transfer to prepared pan, spacing 2" apart. Sprinkle tops generously with demerara sugar and lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake until scones are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter bubbles, remove from heat and skim off foam from surface. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, lightly brush tops with clarified butter, leaving behind white solids in bottom of saucepan. Cool scones on sheet on a wire rack and serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

IRISH SODA SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt.
• Cut butter into small pieces; work into flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add currants, caraway seeds, and buttermilk; stir until just combined.
• Scoop 1/3 cup-size mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Bake until bottoms are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet.
• Meanwhile, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and orange zest. Drizzle over scones; serve.