Everyone’s been baking during this ‘Circuit Breaker’ period, and understandably we might be getting quite bored of banana bread and brownies.
But I think we’re forgetting one of the quintessential tea break goodies—scones. Fluffy, crumbly and delightful with a spot of clotted cream and jam, these English bakes are perfect for lazy weekend afternoon. Be sure to pair it with a pot of hot tea!
For those of us who want a taste of that idyllic English tea life, here’s an easy recipe for scones worthy of posh tea time.
With just three ingredients including Sprite (!), let’s get started on our 3-ingredient Scones that you can make under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 380g self-raising flour (I didn’t have self-raising flour and it was out of stock, so I substituted with 360g of all-purpose flour and 20g of baking powder.)
- 160g Sprite
- 160g double cream (also known as heavy cream or whipping cream)
- (Optional) Strawberry jam and whipped cream to top scones
Tools
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon OR Spatula for folding
- Pastry cutter OR Glass/cup of appropriate size
Recipe Preparation
Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 12 minutes
Feeds three to four
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
- If you’re using the flour substitution like me, whisk the all-purpose flour and baking powder together first.
- Sift the flour or flour mixture into a large bowl.
- Stir the Sprite and cream together, then pour into the flour.
- Gently fold everything together until just combined, then bring dough together into a ball—it will be soft and a bit sticky.
- Pat dough down onto a lightly floured surface so that it’s about 3 or 4cm thick, then use a smallish pastry cutter to cut out rounds.
- Keep gathering the dough back up and patting it down again. You should get around 8 to 10 scones.
- Place the scones on the baking tray.
- (Optional) Brush the tops with a little milk.
- Bake for around 11 – 13 minutes until nicely risen and lightly golden on top.
Recipe (In Pictures)
Step 1: Line a baking tray with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
Step 2: If you’re using the flour substitution like me, whisk the all-purpose flour and baking powder together first.
Sift the flour or flour mixture into a large bowl.
Step 3: Stir the Sprite and cream together, then pour into the flour.
Step 4: Gently fold everything together until just combined, then bring dough together into a ball—it will be soft and a bit sticky.
Step 5: Pat dough down onto a lightly floured surface so that it’s about 3 or 4cm thick, then use a smallish pastry cutter to cut out rounds. I didn’t have a pastry cutter on hand, so I resorted to using a small, heavy glass.
Keep gathering the dough back up and patting it down again. You should get around 8 to 10 scones.
Step 6: Place the scones on the baking tray.
(Optional) Brush the tops with a little milk.
Step 7: Bake for around 11 – 13 minutes until nicely risen and lightly golden on top.
Opening the oven door, a simply heavenly scent of freshly-baked scones wafted to my nose. You just can’t beat fresh bakes.
Fluffy and chewy with a crisp top, these scones were lovely indeed. And yes, one of the three ingredients was Sprite. If you think about it, Sprite is essentially sugar and carbonated water—which are basic ingredients when baking.
I must have left mine in the oven a tad too long, as the edges on some of the scones were slightly burnt. This meant a bitter tang to the aftertaste, though that’s luckily covered by the sweetness of the jam and whipped cream.
I know scones traditionally come with clotted cream instead, but it’s mostly out of stock in supermarkets, so I had to make do with whipped cream. While it’s thinner in consistency, it’s also a little sweeter.
Add a dollop of whipped cream and a generous amount of jam, and you’re all set for a lovely afternoon tea. Don’t forget a pot of piping hot tea, too!
Isn’t it amazing that you can bake scones with three ingredients? Especially Sprite, who would’ve thought that would work? Try it out, and let us know how it goes!
Expected Damage: S$5 – S$6 per portion (feeds 3 – 4 pax)
