Royal Currant Scones Recipe (2024)

RECIPES | Scones | Teatime

ByStephanie WilsonSeptember 15, 2021May 25, 2023

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A Royal Currant Scones Recipe, from the archives of Queen Elizabeth, to serve with afternoon tea, or anytime you’re craving an authentic British style scone.

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Queen Elizabeth is known for her love of afternoon tea. In fact, we’ve written several posts about Her Majesty, including Queen Elizabeth Afternoon Tea Recipes as well as general etiquette for Taking Afternoon Tea Like the British.

These scones are based on Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Recipe for Fruit Scones, reputed to be her favorite.

In that article, it’s written:

Every year at Garden Parties across The Royal Residences, over 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cakes 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.
The Royal Family website

And if you’re wondering what kind of tea to enjoy with these scones, take a cue from Queen Elizabeth. It’s said her favorite tea is Asam or Earl Grey Tea, both of which would be delicious.

Adapting the Royal Currant Scones Recipe

I’ve adapted the Royal Family Dried Fruit Scones recipe to U.S. measurements with a couple of tweaks for further clarity. However, you can use the link above to view the original recipe and adapt it to your preferences.

Ingredients for Royal Currant Scones

Specific ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a summary of the ingredients.

Sultanas or dried currants (soaked)
All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Salt
Butter
Sugar
Large eggs
Buttermilk

How to Make Royal Currant Scones Recipe

These currant scones are easy to make but do require a couple of extra steps. Steps that are well worth the effort as they yield a deliciously tender scone.

Begin by soaking the dried currants in hot water for 30 minutes.

While they are soaking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 1: Mixing dry ingredients and cutting in the butter

Mix the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until pea-sized crumbs are formed.

Step 2: Finishing the scone dough

In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add the egg mixture and soaked currants to the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Step 3: Resting the scones

Transfer the dough to a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Baking the scones

Roll out the dough to a 1-inch thickness and cut in the desired shape. I’m using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and let rest another 5 minutes. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve with jam and clotted cream.

Tips for Making Currant Scones

Why should scones rest before baking?

While it seems like an extract step, resting scone dough allows the gluten to relax and helps make taller, smoother scones. Feel free to refrigerate the dough overnight for crisper edges.

Is it necessary to brush the scones with an egg wash?

Absolutely not u002du002d however, brushing the tops with a beaten egg wash brings beautiful color and texture to the scones.

What is the difference between Sultanas, currants, and raisins?

All three are sweet dried fruit grown from different varieties of the vine grape. And, they can be used interchangeably in this scones recipe. But there are slight differences.

Raisins are the largest and are dried naturally. Sultanas are made from seedless green grapes and are often the juiciest. Currants are made from the smallest grape varieties. They are also called Zante currants or Corinth currants. Not to be confused with Black currants, which are a type of berry.

If you Love Afternoon Tea

We take teatime seriously. And have written recipes and ideas to help you enjoy it as much as we do. From simple steps to hosting your own tea, to teatime recipes for seasons throughout the year.

Here are some of our favorites and most popular afternoon tea posts:

8 Top Teas for Afternoon Tea
Easy Make Ahead Tea Sandwiches
Afternoon Tea Sweets Bites and Teacakes
Easy Afternoon Tea Savory Bites: Recipes and Ideas
How to Serve an Easy Afternoon Tea
Buckingham Palace Shortbread Cookies

More Scones Recipes

Simple and Easy Currant Buttermilk Scones
A Teatime Favorite: Healthy Black Currant Oat Scones
Afternoon Tea Scones Recipes
Raspberry Scones with Lemon Butter Glaze
Traditional Irish Scones Recipe for Afternoon Tea
Buttermilk Strawberry Scones

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Royal Currant Scones Recipe

A Royal Currant Scones Recipe, from the archives of Queen Elizabeth, to serve with afternoon tea, or anytime you're craving an authentic British style scone.

4.6 from 9 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 cup dried currants or Sultanas soak in hot water for 30 minutes
▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 8 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup, room temperature
▢ 1/3 cup sugar
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 1/2 cup buttermilk
▢ egg wash for brushing scones

Instructions

Soak dried currants in hot water for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until pea-sized crumbs are formed.
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add the egg mixture and soaked currants to the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a 1-inch thickness and cut in the desired shape. I'm using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and let rest another 5 minutes. Brush with egg wash.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve with jam and clotted cream.

Video

Nutrition

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Course: Scones

Cuisine: British

Keyword: british scones, british scones recipe, currant scones, scone recipe, scones

FAQs

What is the difference between American scones and British scones? ›

American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.

Read The Full Story ›

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones

Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
Only using all-purpose flour. ...
Overmixing the dough. ...
Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
Baking them ahead of time.

May 1, 2019

How does the royal family eat scones? ›

Well, according to Darren McGrady, a former chef who worked for the Royal Family for over 10 years, the Queen prefered jam first. He tweeted: “The Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.”

Know More ›

What did the Queen put on her scones? ›

In an interview earlier this year, Darren McGrady, a former royal chef, said that the queen spread a layer of jam on her scone, then added cream. That jam-first method in known as the Cornish style — versus the Devonshire style, which layers cream first.

Read On ›

Which flour is best for scones? ›

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons, using just enough to bring the dough together.

Is buttermilk or cream better for scones? ›

Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.

Get More Info Here ›

How to get scones to rise higher? ›

How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

Show Me More ›

What are cookies called in England? ›

In many English-speaking countries outside North America, including the United Kingdom, the most common word for a crisp cookie is "biscuit". The term "cookie" is normally used to describe chewier ones. However, in many regions both terms are used. The container used to store cookies may be called a cookie jar.

Discover More ›

What do Brits call scones? ›

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

A British biscuit is not remotely similar to the fluffy and filling American biscuits made famous in Southern American cuisine. The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either.

Read The Full Story ›

What do British call biscuits and gravy? ›

Scones and Gravy: The English Equivalent.

View Details ›

Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.

Why are scones bad for you? ›

ANY TYPE OF SCONE

Although convenient and tasty, scones are a complete loss. They are typically extremely high in calories from the heavy butter and cream. And, although scones with fruit might seem healthier, most are even higher in calories and still high in saturated fat. Steer clear of scones.

Show Me More ›

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

What is Queen Elizabeth II Favourite dessert? ›

Chocolate biscuit cake is reportedly one of the Royal Family's favourite desserts, which "has become irresistible to generations of royal diners". Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed that “the crunchy chocolate treat was a staple at the Queen's afternoon teas".

See Details ›

What was Queen Elizabeth II Favourite cake? ›

Posted on www.today.com (Read original article here.) “This chocolate biscuit cake is Her Royal Majesty the Queen's favorite afternoon tea cake by far,” chef Darren McGrady, The Royal Chef and former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, told TODAY Food.

Tell Me More ›

What is Queen Elizabeth's 1 favorite food? ›

Queen Elizabeth adhered to a daily teatime meal; her preference for delicate sandwiches with the crusts cut off was well-publicized. Her favorite version was reported to be smoked salmon with cream cheese. If the old adage is true, one should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper.