I made Mary Berry's easy scones in under 30 minutes and they're the perfect afternoon treat

Chloe PantaziJun 7, 2023, 22:05 IST

I made Mary Berry's scones and thought they were worthy of a Hollywood handshake.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider / Karwai Tang/Getty Images

I made Mary Berry's scones in under 30 minutes.
They were quick and easy to make, and there were no soggy bottoms in sight.

As a Brit living in the US, whenever I get homesick I watch a British murder mystery (there are too many to name one), or put on an episode of "The Great British Baking Show."

If it's the latter, it's usually not long before I'm sweating over the oven to make something that'll taste like home.

So when I hosted a Eurovision watch party this May, and wanted to bake something British to match the theme, I turned to a recipe that's become a favorite: Mary Berry's scones.

The former "Bake Off" judge has a foolproof recipe, published by the BBC. It's hard to screw up, and almost impossible to end up with a soggy bottom.

To make Mary Berry's scones, first preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease two baking trays (I used butter). Then, gather your ingredients.

What you'll need to make Mary Berry's scones.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and sugar, then the butter.

The butter goes into the bowl with flour, sugar, and baking powder.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Then, you'll need to get your hands dirty. Berry's recipe calls for rubbing the butter, flour, sugar, and baking powder together with your fingers.

I booked my manicure for the next day.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

You'll want to keep rubbing the ingredients together until a breadcrumb-like mixture forms. It took me a couple of minutes to get to this.

The mix should look like breadcrumbs.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Then, plop your eggs into a measuring jug and add milk. You'll want to keep pouring until the mixture can fill 1.25 cups.

The milk and egg mixture is a classic.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

When your egg-milk blend looks something like this, pour some of it into the bowl containing the flour blend. Only add enough egg and milk to yield "a soft, sticky dough."

You'll need to mix until the yolk is blended in.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

When your egg-milk blend looks something like this, pour some of it into the bowl containing the flour blend. Only add enough egg and milk to yield "a soft, sticky dough."

I poured a few glugs of the egg-milk mixture into the bowl at a time and stirred as I went, to ensure I didn't add too much.

This bit requires a smidge of attention.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I added about three-quarters of my egg-milk mixture to the dough until it looked like this.

The dough shouldn't be dry to the touch.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I lightly floured my kitchen counter and turned out the dough, working the raisins into it as I kneaded it gently.

At this point, it was tempting to try to make one giant scone.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

You'll need to roll out the dough into a rectangle that's 3/4-inch thick.

No rolling pin? No problem!Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Use a fluted, 2-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into scones. If you don't have a cutter, a Mason jar lid or similarly shaped object will do.

You'll want to start close to the edge.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Carefully place the unbaked scones onto your baking trays, and give them a brush with the milk-egg wash. Then pop them in the oven.

Don't forget the egg wash!Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Berry says to bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they're "a pale golden-brown" color.

They shouldn't be too dark.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Carefully transfer the scones from your baking trays to a wire cooling rack. While your scones cool, get your toppings ready.

Don't leave them in the pan, or you could end up with burnt bottoms.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Sorry to anyone who likes American scones (for many reasons), but British scones aren't meant to be eaten dry — they should be slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

The final product.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Sorry to anyone who likes American scones (for many reasons), but British scones aren't meant to be eaten dry — they should be slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Finding good strawberry jam is easy, but clotted cream isn't widely available in the US. So I made a faux version with just three ingredients.

You just need three ingredients.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

The Confessions of a Baking Queen recipe calls for beating heavy cream and confectioner's sugar in an electric stand mixer or hand mixer "until medium to stiff peaks form."

It needs a good mix.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

The Confessions of a Baking Queen recipe calls for beating heavy cream and confectioner's sugar in an electric stand mixer or hand mixer "until medium to stiff peaks form."

Once the cream and sugar mix formed peaks, I folded in the mascarpone cheese with a spoon until it was just combined.

The mixture should have stiff peaks.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I served the scones with jam and the mock clotted cream, and assembled a few to show my friends the right way to eat a British scone: jam on the bottom, cream on top.

Now, you just need a cup of tea.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

The scones had a light texture and were divine topped with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream. To me, they tasted like home.

The scones were delicious, even with the jam on top of the cream (though it was messier to eat that way).Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

I ordered a cake using Costco's 'mysterious' box system, and will never doubt the big-box retailer's methods again

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I made Mary Berry's easy scones in under 30 minutes and they're the perfect afternoon treat

To make Mary Berry's scones, first preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease two baking trays (I used butter). Then, gather your ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and sugar, then the butter.

Then, you'll need to get your hands dirty. Berry's recipe calls for rubbing the butter, flour, sugar, and baking powder together with your fingers.

You'll want to keep rubbing the ingredients together until a breadcrumb-like mixture forms. It took me a couple of minutes to get to this.

Then, plop your eggs into a measuring jug and add milk. You'll want to keep pouring until the mixture can fill 1.25 cups.

When your egg-milk blend looks something like this, pour some of it into the bowl containing the flour blend. Only add enough egg and milk to yield "a soft, sticky dough."

I poured a few glugs of the egg-milk mixture into the bowl at a time and stirred as I went, to ensure I didn't add too much.

I added about three-quarters of my egg-milk mixture to the dough until it looked like this.

I lightly floured my kitchen counter and turned out the dough, working the raisins into it as I kneaded it gently.

You'll need to roll out the dough into a rectangle that's 3/4-inch thick.

Use a fluted, 2-inch cookie cutter to cut the dough into scones. If you don't have a cutter, a Mason jar lid or similarly shaped object will do.

Carefully place the unbaked scones onto your baking trays, and give them a brush with the milk-egg wash. Then pop them in the oven.

Berry says to bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they're "a pale golden-brown" color.

Carefully transfer the scones from your baking trays to a wire cooling rack. While your scones cool, get your toppings ready.

Sorry to anyone who likes American scones (for many reasons), but British scones aren't meant to be eaten dry — they should be slathered with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Finding good strawberry jam is easy, but clotted cream isn't widely available in the US. So I made a faux version with just three ingredients.

The Confessions of a Baking Queen recipe calls for beating heavy cream and confectioner's sugar in an electric stand mixer or hand mixer "until medium to stiff peaks form."

Once the cream and sugar mix formed peaks, I folded in the mascarpone cheese with a spoon until it was just combined.

I served the scones with jam and the mock clotted cream, and assembled a few to show my friends the right way to eat a British scone: jam on the bottom, cream on top.

The scones had a light texture and were divine topped with strawberry jam and a dollop of cream. To me, they tasted like home.