There are scones and then there are Irish butter scones, and if you’ve ever had them — warm from the oven, split open and slathered with good butter and jam — you know they are an entirely different experience from your average scone. Irish scones have a long tradition, showing up at breakfast, teatime, and every occasion in between. Less crumbly and sweet than their American counterparts, they’re rich and tender with a golden, sugar-dusted top and a flaky interior that practically begs to be pulled apart. This recipe keeps it simple and the secret is cold butter and a light hand with the dough. Serve them warm with butter, jam, and clotted cream and you’ll feel like you’re sitting in a little cottage somewhere in County Clare.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Irish Butter Scones?

You probably have everything you need already! You’ll need:

• All-purpose flour.
• Granulated sugar.
• Baking powder.
• Kosher salt.
• Cold unsalted butter. (Cold is a must! It’s the key to that fluffy, tender texture.)
• Whole milk.
• Eggs.
• And Demerara sugar for topping. (That sparkly, crunchy sugar crust on top is everything.)

For serving, you’ll want butter, jam, and clotted cream, but you can use whipped cream if clotted cream isn’t available at your store. Don’t skip the accompaniments! They’re really what rounds out the experience.

What makes Irish scones different from American scones?

American scones tend to be denser, richer, and quite sweet — often loaded with mix-ins and glaze. Irish scones are simpler and lighter, more like a cross between a scone and a dinner roll, with just enough sweetness to make them perfect with jam. They’re meant to be a vehicle for what goes on top, and that philosophy makes them absolutely perfect.

How Do You Make Irish Butter Scones?

The technique here is simple but the technique matters. Cold butter, minimal kneading, and a hot oven are the three things standing between you and the perfect scone! Here’s how you make them:

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Then using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter directly into the dry ingredients. It’s my favorite way to incorporate butter into a dough; it distributes the butter evenly throughout the dough in tiny pieces without having to bother with cubing. Work it together with your fingers until the mixture resembles damp sand, then whisk together the milk and eggs and add most of it to the bowl, holding back about a tablespoon for brushing.

Stir or work the dough together with your hands until it just comes together, then knead it a few times — just enough to incorporate any loose bits. Don’t overwork it or your scones will be tough rather than tender, and no one wants that. Pat the dough out to about an inch thick, then cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, and transfer to a baking sheet.

Brush the tops with that reserved egg and milk mixture, then sprinkle them generously with Demerara sugar, and bake until they’re puffed up and deeply golden. Serve them warm — with plenty of butter, jam, and cream, of course — and don’t plan on having any leftovers.