Scone
Though particularly associated with the splendor and elegance of a traditional English Tea, the origin of scones, also called biscuits, is believed to be of notable Scottish descent. The earliest Scottish scone was an unpretentious quick bread made with oats or barley flour, shaped into a round, then scored or cut into quarters or wedges, and baked on a Scottish âgirdleâ (griddle) over an open fire.
Popular belief has it that this Scottish quick bread took its name from the Pictish Kingdom of Scone (Scotland).
The exact ancestry of the word âsconeâ is unknown, but is believed to be of Dutch, German or Gaelic origin. This traditional teatime fare is pronounced both âskaunâ and âskoaneâ throughout Great Britain.
In Britain, scones are often served with strawberry jam and clotted cream for afternoon tea. British scones tend to be a dense, dry and a less sweet variety of quick bread than the traditional quick breads most Americans are familiar with.
Scones are frequently served with sausage gravy as a breakfast side-dish in America. The typical use of buttermilk and heavy shortening in them makes them rich and tasty.
In recent decades, Americans have modernized the scone by creating sweeter varieties that include various combinations of fruits, nuts, spices, and even chocolate. There are also floral scones available that taste like the scent of flowers, such as rose, violet, lavender, jasmine and orange blossom.