Here at British Corner Shop, April is tea party month!
With the Queen’s 90th Birthday coming up later this month, along with our own birthday, we believe there’s no better way to celebrate than with a classic tea party.
Since scones are an integral part to any tea party or afternoon tea, our resident chef decided to put some of the very best scone recipes to the test and see which ones came up trumps in the office.
Welcome to the Great British Corner Shop Sconetest!
Three different scone recipes were selected: one by Delia Smith, the no-nonsense chef who has taught the nation how to cook; one by Mary Berry, the Queen of baking who has won the hearts of the nation with Bake Off; and finally, one by BBC Good Food, who are always there to provide trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.
And to mix things up a little bit, our resident chef chose to make one of the recipes without sugar, to see if we had any truly discerning scone tasters in the office. All of the scones were tasted blind, with a pot of cream and jam ready and waiting.
Each recipe batch was labelled A, B, C and D, and each tester would give the scones a score out of five, which took into consideration the look and taste of the scone, along with how successful it was as a vehicle for the all important cream and jam.
This was quite a challenge for the British Corner Shop office, as it’s no mean feat to eat four scones smothered in cream and jam throughout the course of one day. Fortunately, they were up to the challenge and we can now reveal the results.
The results
Batch A was made using the recipe from BBC Good Food. Overall, our tasters were very impressed with these scones. They scored highly across the board, with one member of the team even going back for seconds!
Batch B was made using Delia Smith’s recipe, which, unlike the other recipes, requires you to dust each scone with flour before baking, rather than brushing with egg wash. As a result, the scones did not come out of the oven with the same golden colour, and this let them down on the score for looks. There were mixed results for the taste, and overall our team of tasters weren’t convinced.
Batch C was made using Mary Berry’s recipe, but without sugar. And, as it turns out, we have some discerning scone fans here at British Corner Shop. Everyone commented on the lack lustre taste, with one taster successfully spotting that the problem was a lack of sugar. Safe to say, this batch of scones had the worst score.
Finally, Mary Berry’s recipe was used again to make Batch D, but this time with the sugar included. This was another popular recipe, and they also scored very highly across the board. Although it was a close call, they didn’t quite beat the BBC Good Food scones, which edged ahead on taste to secure first prize of the Great British Corner Shop Sconetest!
Safe to say, the tasters thought this was a great day in the office. And if you’re looking to bake a batch of scones this month, then make sure you’re fully stocked on all your supplies from British Corner Shop, including Cottage Delight Clotted Cream and Hartley’s Best Strawberry Jam.
Have you tried one of these scone recipes? If so, please share your thoughts below and any tips or hints you may have for fellow bakers.
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