Monday, October 24, 2011

Scottish cardamom griddle scones, with butter and honey



We all know scones as the traditional English cookies served with tea (especially Devonshire tea, or cream tea as it's called). But the original scone was actually Scottish, and it was fried (on a griddle - or, in our case, a heavy-bottomed pan) rather than baked, and it also had the shaped we reproduced here: a large flat round cut into triangle squares. Don't worry about the frying part: it's dry-frying, without any fat whatsoever.
Considering that this is the British-Scottish (as in non-American) version of the famous tea cookies, they're only slightly sweetened, being meant to be served with clotted cream and jam on top. Or, in this case, the match we found (inspired from here) was even better: butter spread on top while they're hot and honey. You won't believe how well it all goes together, but trust us, you'll never want to have them any other way. And considering how fast they are to make you'll want to make them all the time :)



Ingredients (for a batch - serves 2, maybe 3 people for a tea):

  • 200 g flour
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 30 g butter (Irish butter :D )
  • 2-3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg
  • about 100 ml of milk
  • extra butter and honey for serving
  • a little sprinkle of salt


Put the flour, salt, baking powder and cardamom in a large bowl. Add the butter:

Mix well, until it all resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix again. Lightly beat the egg in a measuring cup, than add milk until you have 100 ml of egg and milk mix. Add it to the bowl and mix everything into an even dough.

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Divide the dough into three parts and shape each on into a flat circle (kind-of like way-bread). Cut each circle into quarters and put them in the hot pan (don't add any grease, they won't stick):

After 2-3 minutes turn them over and let them cook on the other side as well:

Repeat with the other two circles as well. Serve warm, with lots of butter, honey and tea! :)

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