Scones (see note below) are a classic bakery item for English afternoon tea. Typical are Devonshire Teas where scones are consumed with strawberry jam and whipped cream.
 

This picture was taken moments after the scones were taken out of the oven

Ingredients

The recipe proportions used were J. Oliver's:

500 g self-raising flour
150 g butter (salted or unsalted - your pick; add salt if you use the latter)
2 X teaspoons sugar
2 X teaspoons of baking powder
Milk (quantity as required)

Some recipes use less butter - the quantity of the latter will affect the crumb of the resultant scone.

Method

Dice butter into pieces and coarsely rub together with the flour.
Do not over work the dough. What is wanted is a dryish, crumbly dough which just sticks together (add milk if the dough is too dry).
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll out the mix to a thickness of a 2 - 3 cm. Do not over compress the mix or you will end up with rock cakes.
Use a cookie cutter to cut out to your desired scone dimension (taller than wide is nice).
Place the cut shapes onto a baking tray; wash with milk or egg for a golden top.
Bake at 180 degrees centigrade for at least 15 minutes.
What is wanted is a slightly crunchy exterior and a crumbly interior (this will only happen if the scone is properly cooked).

 

If you wish to make your own cream for the afternoon tea and do not want to use ready-made stuff, here is how to make a small portion just enough for the two or three scones which you consume:

• Find a coffee mug and add some 50 mL of cold heavy cream to it (at least 35% fat - or if desirable you can boost fat content by adding a knob of butter).
   
• Add a teaspoon of fine sugar if you wish a sweetened product.
   
• Add a dollop vanilla essence if desired.
   
• You may also add a tiny dusting of xanthan powder if you have any.
  This helps the cream not to separate and deflate later.
   
• Whip the mixture with a hand blender for some minutes until the cream thickens.
  Watch that you do not over whip and end up with butter.
   
• You are now done.
  It helps to keep the cream cold until you want to use it.

NOTE

Pronouncing "scone"

There is a bit of snobbishness attached to how "scone" is pronounced.

Apparently, the "proper" way is "SKON" (rhyming with "gone") rather than "SKONE" (rhyming with "bone").
A YOUGOV survey of Britons in 2016 revealed that most of them (51%) used the proper pronunciation while 42% said it the other way (don't know what the "missing" 7% say).
You should ask why SCONE has the letter "e" at the end of it if it is properly pronounced "SKON".
That's the English language for you - full of irregularities and eccentricities.

Eating it

Pronunciation of "scones" is not the only debate: How it should be eaten is also divisive.
Scones are split BY HAND into two halves, then slathered with cream and strawberry ("STRAWBRI" and not "STRAW BERRI") jam.
BUT which is put on first?
In Cornwall, they put the jam first and then the cream. In Devon, cream is put on first.
Her Majesty Ah Queen would have a fit if she saw the photo above because the scone has been done in the Devon manner.
Ah Queen puts jam first and then the cream on top of it.
So if you ever attend a Buckingham Palace garden party, do not be an etiquette twit - follow the royal protocol.

For those who don't give a fig, the most important thing is the scone is shoved down the gullet, cream, jam and all.