The British Royal Family has been suffering through COVID-19 lock down just like all the rest of us – albeit in a country castle surrounded by servants and a personal Chef. Now, Mer Majesty has consented to share the Family’s famous Scone recipe, and it’s a great break from Banana Bread and Cookies!
HM Queen Elizabeth at Tea, with her favourite Scones…
According to the Royal Family’s Instagram page, “Every year at Garden Parties across The Royal Residences, over 27,000 cups of Tea, 20,000 Scones and 20,000 slices of Cake are consumed! The Royal Pastry Chefs are happy to share their recipe for fruit scones, which traditionally would be served at Buckingham Palace every summer.”
What you need
500 g / 2 cups plain flour
28 g / 2 tbsp. Baking Powder
94 g / 3.5 oz. Butter
86 g / 3.0 oz. Sugar
2 Whole Eggs
140 ml / 5 fl. oz. Buttermilk
100 g / 0.75 cup Sultanas — a type of Raisin popularized in North America by Sunkist brand
What you do
Cover the Rasins in hot water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Mix the Flour, Baking Powder, Butter, and Sugar together in a bowl until a crumb is formed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the Eggs and Buttermilk together.
Add the liquid to the crumb mixture.
Continue to mix the dough until it is smooth. Optional: Add the Sultanas, and mix until evenly distributed.
Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten dough, and cover.
Leave to rest for approximately 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5 cm (1 in.) and cut to desired shape.
Rest the scones for another 20 minutes.
Gently egg-wash the top of the scones.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Cool before serving with jam and clotted cream.
The real deal
A former Royal Chef confirms the above is the real deal recipe for the Queen’s fave Teatime nibble.
Darren McGrady told The Express Newspaper, ‘she doesn’t go a day without Tea no matter where she is in the world’.
“I remember being on the Royal Yacht Britannia,” McGrady recalled. “We flew out to Australia and it was 5 o’clock in the morning, but to the Queen it was five in the afternoon and it was time for tea, so my next job was making scones. ”
There you have it.
My take
Here’s a great opportunity to hold a summer Tea Party that’s literally fit for a Queen. Make her her Scones, get gussied up, and have Tea in the garden. It will be a small affair with just you and your immediate ‘family’, but it will make a great break from the usual lock down monotony!
~ Maggie J.