International Scone Week is, as we like to say over here, a bit of a lark.
Which means it’s not terribly serious, but rather just an excuse to have some fun. Three years ago, a group of us found ourselves serendipitously baking scones at the same time. One thing led to another, and the next thing we knew, a tradition was born to bake and share our scones during the second week of August.
Of course, it’s a very loose tradition, definitely a “play if you feel so inclined” kind of thing. But if you’d like to join in, please leave me your links or photos in a comment below (you don’t need to be a blogger) and at the end of the week, I’ll put together a roundup post. There are no rules, bake any scones you like – sweet, savoury, round, triangular – whatever takes your fancy. And if you need some inspiration, here are last year’s photos!
Here is my latest experiment, using the farm cheese that I mentioned in my August In My Kitchen post. The crumbly curds gave the scones a rich flavour and crisp exterior, without making them taste savoury or cheesy. They turned out a little denser than my regular scones, but with a very tender crumb, and they went down a treat – Small Man ate three of them for lunch!
- 300g (2 cups) plain (AP) flour
- 2 generous teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 50g unsalted butter
- 75g Brancourts Farm Style Cottage Cheese
- 50g caster (superfine) sugar
- 125g (½ cup) milk
- 1 large free range egg
- a little milk for brushing the tops before baking
1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F) or 180C (360F) with fan. Line a small baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Sieve the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes and crumble the farm cheese, then rub both into the flour with your fingertips. Don’t worry about getting it all mixed in too neatly. Stir in the sugar.
4. Whisk together the milk and egg, then pour it onto the dry ingredients. Mix together gently with a butter knife, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together gently. Because of the added cheese, the mixture will be slightly stickier than usual.
5. Lightly pat the dough to a thickness of about 2½ cm (1″). Using a well-floured round cutter, cut out circles, taking care not to twist as you push down. Lay the scones on the parchment-lined tray and brush the tops with a little milk. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until (hopefully) well-risen and golden brown. Makes six large scones.
Happy baking everyone!
PS. If you find regular scones intimidating, you might want to try
making the lemonade version – they’re very easy!
PPS. The baking has started! Check out these fabulous posts:
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
International Scone Week, sounds like a good excuse for pumpkin and date scones for morning tea tomorrow.
Tracy, your scones look fabulous! Thanks for joining in! :)
Hope my oven is working by then! : )
Fingers crossed, Lizzy, but there’s no rush. If you get to bake scones some time in the next couple of weeks, I’ll just add them to the list, whenever. :)
Love the jam shot! I like them crunchy on the outside! And these look delicious.
Making mine on Monday, I think.
Heidi, can’t wait to see what you come up with this year! xx
This must be an international conspiracy: have just opened three mails one after the other:
1. from a NZ gf with photos of swimsuits available for her forthcoming holiday in Rarotonga: since size 18 is somewhat ‘difficult’ and I am only a few sizes smaller: hmm – empathize! Which do I think?
2. from a favourite Mexican food blogger/gf : featuring about a hundred different and delicious variations of French toast
3 now another temptation in the form of these beautiful scones . . .
Sugar, perhaps the best is to > travel & philosophy blogs :) ? But you DO make beautiful scones, Celia !!!!
Eha, thank you! Scones aren’t slimming, but they ARE delicious! :D
I’ve been wanting date scones for ages.. good excuse ! :)
Would love to see what you bake, Maureen! I’ve never made a date scone…
i’m not averse at all to a crunchy scone exterior..in fact it’s my favourite style..yum!
Jane, there seems to be two schools of thought – wrap the scones up while hot to keep them soft, or let them cool on a rack to crunchiness. I think in this case, the crispy exterior worked really well! Must bake more! :)
I would not mind those for breakfast right now :)
Tandy, I love that so little time passed between you leaving this comment and you actually BAKING scones.. ;-)
The two little people have entirely positive reflections on the scones. Little man is happy to eat them “just prain” Bigger boy prefers them slightly warmed with home made jam and freshly whipped cream. Either way, I say …
I’m going to buy more farm cheese and make another batch, will send some down! x
I remember I didn’t get around to getting involved in this last year and how quickly it comes around again! I haven’t made scones in such a long time and I really must get involved. Watch out for my contribution! xx
You DID play last year – your scones were beautiful!
Oh this looks like fun! Mine won’t look the best – we grind our own flour from spelt grain – but I think I’ll join none the less :-)
You mill your own spelt flour? How cool is that, Sarah! :) Would love to see your scones if you get around to baking any!
I posted an “In my kitchen” post for this month… soon I´ll be posting my scones!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://ale-ligeradeequipaje.blogspot.com.ar/
Yaay! Let me know, Ale, and I’ll add the photo to the round-up post!
Yay for International Scone Week Celia. I hope to play along again this year. Like the idea of your cottage cheese scones, which of course look very moreish.
Choc, it will take a lot to top those wonderful white chocolate scones you made last year!
Scones!! Ok, I am onto it:)
Hooray! Looking forward to it, G! xx
Your beautiful & well risen scones look truly appetizing, Celia! Mmmmmmm.
Sophie, thank you! The rising bit can be tricky and unpredictable!
yes, I know! :) x
WHAAAAA! I was all ready to make a batch of buttermilk scones and found that we are out of baking soda. (Scowling at whoever used the last of it and didn’t tell me.) So I made a German pancake instead. Fortunately it is scone WEEK, so I still have time to get my entry in. I’ll post picts. Hugs, Maz.
Darling, you’ve got all the time you want. Whenever you bake ’em, I’ll add ’em to the post. :)
Oh yum! How I love me some scones! I always bake my grandmothers recipe, they’re perfect!
Clare, how wonderful to have a tried and tested recipe! x
Don’t they look yummy indeed Celia! I’ll see if I can get my act together and get my scone on, meanwhile I’ll have my IMK post up later today xox
Becca, loved your IMK post! Hope you get a chance to bake scones (but obviously no dramas if you don’t)! xx
I do not make scones but am looking forward to seeing photos and recipes.
Thanks Norma! I’ll try to get the round-up post up at the end of the week – will see how everyone goes with their baking!
I just saw a link to this. I was out of bread yesterday and had left it too late to make any for lunch. I halved the usual scone recipe I have used all my life and made just a few. All gone before I remembered a photo.
As a girl I holidayed in a tiny little place in Blue Mountains with a wood stove. I would get up, light the fire and stoke it up so oven was very hot. a batch od scones for morning tea would cook in about eight minutes.
I use a very basic recipe given me by my grandmother. Two cups SR flour, a bit less than a cup of milk, a pinch of salt. Mix all together with a old fashioned flat bladed knife. Flour oven tray, turn mix onto tray and cut into squares with a floured knife. Don’t separate. Being together helps each scone push up against its neighbour.
Sometimes I titivate it up with some butter either rubbed in or gently melted and added at end but I never use egg or sugar.
Date scones, sultana scones, cheese scones, ham and gherkin scones. Scones with a bit of orange juice and sugar on top. All yummy.
Jan, what an interesting recipe – makes me think of damper. The orange juice and sugar sound like a fabulous addition, and I do like a savoury scone! If you bake any more and would like me to add a photo, just let me know! :)
I may not get around to making scones this week, but I’d be happy to eat some – anywhere!
I’m usually happy to eat them too! :)
I remember last year’s Scone Week, Celia. I didn’t know there were so many kinds of scones. Though I’m not a baker, I’ll gladly offer my palate as taster. Someone’s got to do it. :)
Taking one for the team, so good of you, John.. ;-)
Those Scones look beautiful!!
Priya, thank you! :)
Recipe done! http://tandysinclair.com/sourdough-scones-recipe/ Thanks for hosting :)
Best I get myself into action and getting baking!
:-) Mandy xo
Yaay! Have fun Mandy! x
Hi Celia, I will post my recipe on Thursday morning. :-) xo
[…] from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial has rallied us all. Being the second week in August, it is International Scone Week! That […]
Hi Celia, here is the link to my scone post:
http://passionfruitgarden.com/2013/08/05/international-scone-week-2013/
Glenda, they look amazing! Who needs a food processor! :)
Celia how could we resist? Mine look rather less professional than yours but they tasted good.
http://annewheaton.co.uk/2013/08/05/girdle-scone-recipe/
Anne, I’ve never heard of girdle scones before! I’d like one for breakfast please! :)
This is a terrific tradition & you’ve just reminded me that I haven’t made any scones in quite a while. I’m going to have to check all of these out to expand my “repertoire”… in the meantime, may I add in the only scone recipe that I currently have tried? It’s an old post but I need to get baking again.
http://dianeskitchentable.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/succulent-storm-scones/
They look lovely, Diane! :) Let me know if you bake any this week or next week, and I’ll add it to the round-up post for you!
You have me motivated & we just got some nice cool, fresh air here which makes baking a pleasure.
Once again, you remind me to stop and enjoy tea time!! Yum yum!!
That’s such a nice thing to say, thank you! :)
Celia I love the fun of International Scone Week. It seems I cannot put photos in the comment box. I made a batch of the current family fave, cinnamon and craisin (not sure of correct spelling). Your posts are always inspiring, Thank you.
Madge, I’ve just emailed you! :) Thanks for playing! x
It’s 65° here today, perfect day in August for scones — I’m in!
The cooler weather paid off, we have scones to share! :) http://savoringtoday.com/2013/08/07/triple-ginger-coconut-scones-gluten-free-international-scone-week-2013/
Judy, yaay! The first gluten-free batch of the week! :)
I forgot to mention, and wasn’t sure if I needed to, but you can use any photo from the post that you’d like or find helpful. Happy Friday! :)
Thanks Judy! x
[…] dear friend Celia over at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial hosts our International Scone Week which has become a firm annual […]
It is such perfect scone weather and I have made a scone recipe that I have had bookmarked a while – I love making scones with new flavours though I really need some plain old scones soon too
http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/beetroot-apple-and-walnut-scones-for.html
Johanna, fantastic! I’ll include it in the round up! Too much fun! :)
Any excuse to make scones here Celia. I went with pumpkin this year! http://clairekcreations.com/2013/08/pumpkin-scones-international-scone-week/
Good on you, Claire! Thank you! :)
Celia, I made some ginger scones this year. Not my best looking scones but they did taste good1
Ginger scones, Christine! They sound fabulous! :)
I adore scones – too far at home to join you in making some but love the look of yours.
Thanks Sally xx
I meant ‘far from home’ of course!
I figured you meant “far from home” or “far too busy at home”..or maybe both.. :)