Irish Short Scones — A Simple, Traditional Bake with Timeless Charm

 

There’s something wonderfully comforting about a classic Irish scone — simple ingredients, quick to mix, and always welcome alongside a hot cup of tea. These Irish Short Scones are everything a good scone should be: tender, lightly sweet, and beautifully crumbly, with that rustic homemade charm that makes them feel extra special.

They come together in minutes, making them perfect for last‑minute guests, cozy weekend baking, or those quiet moments when you just want a warm treat fresh from the oven. Split them open while they’re still warm and add butter, jam, or a spoonful of cream… pure comfort in every bite.

If you love traditional recipes that are easy, reliable, and deeply satisfying, these scones are sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.

 

Every year I try to make or bake something new for Saint Patrick's Day. This recipe I am sharing today for Short Scones comes from a book I have entitled Homemade, Irresistible recipes for every occasion by Clodagh McKenna who is an Irish chef/cook.  It is one of the few cookbooks I deigned to bring back with me from the U.K. and I am glad that I did. I was under the misconception that I would be able to replace most of my books here, but that just hasn't been true for them all. In any case, this is an excellent book with lots of recipes that I use again and again. It is full of little post-it tags of recipes I enjoy.

I had flagged these scones quite some time ago and only just now got around to baking them. They were said to be halfway between a scone and a shortbread biscuit. I am not sure that is entirely true, but I can tell you they are pretty darned good scones.  Light and crumbly with a beautiful short and buttery texture. They would not lend themselves well to adding fruit of any kind, but no worry there as they are pretty darned delicious just as they are.

Eileen and I each scarfed down two of them once they cooled with lashings of clotted cream, butter and strawberry jam.  Yes. we did make pigs of ourselves.  I keep telling her she is a bad influence on me, but really I think it's the other way around!  😂😂😂

In any case these are really delicious. If you are looking for something tasty to enjoy along with your afternoon tea, then you cannot go too far wrong with these delicious, short and buttery scones! (I bought my clotted cream from Blighty's. You get four small pots for $15.49. A bit pricey but they were meant to be a once in a blue moon treat.)

  

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE IRISH SHORT SCONES

There is nothing extraordinary here or complicated. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.

• 2 1/2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50g) finely granulated sugar
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 5/8 cup (130g) ice cold salted butter (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 1 large egg beaten, plus a little bit extra for brushing
• scant 1/2 cup (1/2 cup less 2 TBS) (100ml) single cream (half and half)

 

INGREDIENTS NOTES

Do not use self rising flour. Use a good quality plain flour that is meant for baking. I used an organic flour that I buy online from Arva Mills here in Canada. I buy the Daisy Hard White Unbleached and it is excellent for baked goods.

In the U.K. you would use caster sugar which is lovely and fine for baking. You can use regular granulated sugar here in North America as ours is not as coarse as it is in the U.K. but if you are worried you can blitz it finer in a food processor. I use Kirkland organic sugar.

Check your baking powder for freshness. Slip some into a cup and add some hot/boiling water. If it fizzes your baking powder is fine.

Since there is no salt in the recipe do use salted butter to give the scones a better flavor. Alternately you could use unsalted and add a pinch of salt to keep them from tasting too fresh.

DO MAKE SURE YOUR BUTTER IS REALLY COLD.

I buy my eggs from a chicken farm. They are free range and organic.  They also cost much less than the ones from the shops.

We don't have single cream here so I used half and half coffee cream. One thing I really miss about the U.K. is their dairy products. They were exemplary. Butter, cream, milk, eggs. All amazing.

 

HOW TO MAKE IRISH SHORT SCONES

Not at all difficult so long as you follow the ingredients, measurements and directions succinctly.  You can't go wrong.

1. Sift the flour with the baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar. (I like to whisk it in with a wire whisk. Sugar is usually whisked into the flour separately and not creamed in with the fats when making scones.)
2. Grate in the cold butter and mix together with a fork until the mixture resembles dry bread crumbs. (Make sure your butter is really cold and toss it with the flour as you grated it in to help keep the pieces separate so they don't clump together. Alternately you can use a food processor to cut the butter in.)
3. Whisk the cream and the egg together. (I do this in a separate beaker.)
4. Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir together with a fork until you have a claggy mixture. It will be slightly damp and not dry. (It shouldn't be too sticky or unmanageable.)
5. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to bring the dough together. Pat out to 1/2 inch thick. (Don't overhandle the dough.)
6. Using a 3 inch round metal cookie cutter, stamp out 8 rounds. (Use a sharp up and down motion without twisting the cutter.)
7. Place onto a baking sheet which has been lined with baking parchment. Leave plenty of space around them. Brush the tops with some beaten egg or milk.(I prefer egg. You can always use the remainder of the egg to make some scrambled eggs, etc.)
8. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the scones for 1 hour. (This chill time is important and will give you a higher rise.)
9. Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7.
10. Remove the scones from the refrigerator and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until light golden brown. (Place them straight from the refrigerator into the hot oven.)
11. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes then lift off to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
12. Serve split and spread with butter, clotted cream and jam, along with copious amounts of tea. Enjoy! (We enjoyed them at room temperature with some butter, clotted cream and strawberry jam and were in scone heaven.)

  

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING GREAT SCONES

If you follow my hints and tips, you cannot go wrong!  I promise you scone success every time!  The perfect scone is crisp and almost caramelized on the outsides, and tender and buttery inside. These hints and tips apply to most scone recipes, both savory and sweet! 

1.  Always use cold butter, or even frozen butter. This will give your scone a much better rise.  As the scones bake the cold butter, melts and creates lovely buttery air pockets.

2.  Never overwork the dough.  Use as light a touch as possible. Overworking the dough toughens the scone.  This is the same for biscuits as well. If using a cutter do not twist the cutter when you cut or you will end up with lopsided scones.

3.  If you have enough time, it is helpful to chill the scones for about 10 minutes prior to baking them.  Although not specifically necessary this will help to relax the gluten in the flour somewhat and give a nice tender texture and also ensures that your butter stays nice and cold.

4.  For crisp sides leave at least two inches of space between each scone.  For softer sides, crowd them closer together. Personally, I like crisp sides.

5. If using fresh fruit in scones, try not to use fruit that it too juicy.  This will mess with the integrity of your bake if the fruit is too wet.  Rinse and dry it really well prior to using it.  I like to use paper towels. Also if using loose frozen fruit, use it frozen.  Do not thaw it out first. 

6.  Don't overbake the scones.  Overbaking will make them really dry. Scones are done with they are a light golden brown on the bottom. If you are in doubt, break one open. They should not appear doughy or wet inside.  They should be slightly moist and tender.

 

IS IT SC-ON OR SC-OWN? 

There has been much debate through the years on the proper pronunciation of the word, and sometimes very heated. I think wars have been fought over less.  Even the late Queen weighed in on the matter.  The simple fact is neither is wrong and has more to say about where you are from than anything else.  A rose by any other name and all that, what does it matter. They are delicious either way!

Scones are closer to a pastry than a bread. They contain no yeast and are put together in a very similar way, with almost identical ingredients.  What differs is the ratio of fat to flour, with pastry using more.  Also Scones will use either a leavening such as baking powder or self-raising flour, whereas typically a pastry will use none.

ARE SCONES AND AMERICAN BISCUITS THE SAME THING?

They might look very similar, but that is where it ends. Tall, flaky and golden brown, they are both made with flour, fat, a leavening agent and a liquid. The two have very similar ingredients, but vary in ratios of ingredients and mix ins. Biscuits have an extra fattiness which helps to create nice flaky layers. Scones are a bit sturdier and sweeter by and large.  Both are delicious, so why quibble.

  

A FEW MORE SCONE RECIPES TO ENJOY

Scones are one of my favorite things to bake and to eat. Here are a few other recipes which you might also enjoy!

CHERRY & VANILLA SCONES - Charmingly old‑fashioned yet wonderfully simple — the sort of treat you’d expect to find in a National Trust tearoom, served warm with a pat of butter and a pot of tea. Made with self‑raising flour, cold butter, milk, and a generous splash of vanilla, they bake up light, tender, and beautifully crumbly. There is an abundance of glacé cherries tucked throughout the dough. Each bite brings a pop of sweetness against the soft, vanilla‑scented crumb. They’re sturdy enough to split and spread with butter, yet delicate enough to enjoy just as they are — warm from the oven or cooled on the counter.

CARROT CAKE DROP SCONES - These Carrot Cake Drop Scones are everything you love about a classic carrot cake, wrapped up in a warm, buttery, crumbly scone. Each one is flecked with finely grated carrot, dotted with sweet golden raisins, and gently spiced. Because they’re drop scones, there’s no fussing with cutters — just soft, rustic dollops of dough that bake into golden, craggy beauties with plenty of character. A sweet, lightly spiced glaze drizzled over the top melts into all the little nooks and crannies, giving each scone a glossy finish and an extra touch of indulgence. Dense, flavorful, and wonderfully homey.

 

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Yield: Makes 8

Author: Marie Rayner

Irish Short Scones

Prep time: 1 H & 15 MCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 35 M

Said to be halfway between a scone and a shortbread. These taste divine with some clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50g) finely granulated sugar
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 5/8 cup (130g) ice cold salted butter (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 1 large egg beaten, plus a little bit extra for brushing
• scant 1/2 cup (1/2 cup less 2 TBS) (100ml) single cream (half and half)

Instructions

1. Sift the flour with the baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar
2. Grate in the cold butter and mix together with a fork until the mixture resembles dry bread crumbs.
3. Whisk the cream and the egg together.
4. Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir together with a fork until you have a claggy mixture. It will be slightly damp and not dry.
5. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to bring the dough together. Pat out to 1/2 inch thick.
6. Using a 3 inch round metal cookie cutter, stamp out 8 rounds.
7. Place onto a baking sheet which has been lined with baking parchment. Leave plenty of space around them. Brush the tops with some beaten egg or milk.(I prefer egg. You can always use the remainder of the egg to make some scrambled eggs, etc.)
8. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the scones for 1 hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7.
10. Remove the scones from the refrigerator and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until light golden brown.
11. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes then lift off to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
12. Serve split and spread with butter, clotted cream and jam, along with copious amounts of tea. Enjoy!

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