Why it works: Cream and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
British Scones
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the dough
Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
Rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar and enough milk to mix to a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface, knead lightly and roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness.
Cut into 2-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush with milk to glaze.
Bake and serve
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
Serve with butter or clotted cream and jam.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure that sets as the scones bake.
- Margarine
- Rubbed into the flour to create tenderness and a crumbly texture.
- Cream of tartar
- Reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide for lift.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic cream of tartar to help the scones rise.
- Milk
- Hydrates the flour to form a soft dough and adds moisture and browning on the glazed top.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown lightly.
The step that matters
Rub in the margarine until fine breadcrumbs form. Coating flour particles with fat limits gluten development, so stopping when the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs keeps the scones tender rather than tough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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