After our adventures in England, we were determined to meet again and have an afternoon of tea, scones, clotted cream, and little sandwiches. What better time to do this is for an afternoon at the movies seeing Downton Abbey!
While in England we spent one morning making homemade scones prior to our adventures for the day. While it was the perfect breakfast, we had the ability to purchase clotted cream as they sell it at every grocery store in England. Not so much on this side of the pond.
A few months ago I tried my hand at homemade clotted cream from a handful of recipes on Pinterest. Some worked. Some didn’t. Others scared me (most of those were an instant pot or involved boiling something). Amazing how easy it is actually just using the oven. With this, my third attempt at clotted cream, I am happy to report perfect results.
Clotted Cream
This recipe is so easy. Ingredient list? 2-3 pints of heavy whipping cream. The only trick is it CANNOT be ultra-pasteurized. It won’t “clot” and all you will have is a dish of warm cream. The only place I can find locally for “pasteurized” heavy whipping cream is Trader Joes. Once you have yours in hand, this is what you do:
- Pour cream into a shallow baking dish, should rise about 1 1/2 – 2 inches up the sides of the dish.
- Place in oven at 175 degrees for 12 hours. The dish is uncovered, and do not open the oven during this time. You might have to test run this out as some ovens might shut off automatically (mine did not). I start this at night but you could start it early in the morning so that it only takes only 24 hours to make, not 48 as I usually do).
- Remove the dish from the oven slowly. It will still be very much in a liquid form, don’t panic. If you have a thin darker yellow layer film on the top (see pictures below) you can leave it or peel it off with a fork (I remove the layer, find the final cream is smoother).
- Let the dish cool enough to wrap tightly with plastic wrap then place back in
fridge for another 12 hours (or overnight). - The next morning, remove the thick layer of clotted cream and place in a jar or glass dish that you can seal. There will be about 2-3 cups of liquid that remains. You can discard, or use the liquid to make scones.
- If the cream is too thick, you can add a bit of the liquid to achieve the consistency you desire!
Our final spread before the show eliminated any need
Homemade Scones
What good is clotted cream if you don’t have the perfect scone! These are so easy to make, and even better if you use the leftover liquid from the clotted cream!
INGREDIENTS: 2 1/2 cups flour – 1/4 tsp. salt – 3 1/2 tsp baking powder – 3 T sugar – 3/4 stick butter – 3/4 cup milk (or clotted cream liquid) – 1 tsp lemon juice – 1 tsp vanilla
- Preheat the over to 400 degrees
- Mix all dry ingredients. Add butter & mix till a dry crumble texture
- Heat milk on the stove till just warm (not boiling) and add all additional liquid ingredients to warm milk and stir.
- Add warm milk mixture to dry crumble and combine with fork
- Fold mixture 2-3x till combine but do not overwork the dough
- Place on the counter and shape into 1/2 inch rectangle.
- Cut into triangle or round cutter
- Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown, cool slightly and enjoy with clotted cream & jam
I wish I had more photos of the scones & cream in action – but sometimes there are no photos because you just enjoy the company & conversation! Enjoy!
I love scones especially the blueberry ones. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Love this post! Your pictures are lovely! Scones and clotted cream are a big thing here in Victoria BC. We can actually get the cream in cute little jars. I love your recipe for scones and will be making them! Maybe today 🙂
I love scones, I’ve never tried the cream and will have to try it. Thanks!
It is a must! So tasty with scones!
This is so fun! Thanks for sharing 🙂
ooooooo well there is a whole lot of yum just waiting to stick to my thighs! Excellent!
Interesting! I’ll have to be brave and try the clotted cream. I’ve always loved scones but have an aversion to a lot of milk products, especially with the word clotted. LOL It really does look harmless though! 🙂
Don’t let the name scare you away! It is amazing!
This post is so amazing! We’ve never made scones and will definitely need to try this out.
I have never made scones before..I’m excited to try your recipe!! I love all types of tea but my favorite is hibiscus..truly wonderful!
I’ve never had clotted cream. This made me want to try it.
I love the idea of afternoon tea! I need to try this!
Scones and tea are the perfect combinations. Thank you for sharing the clotted cream recipe. I will have to give it a try.
These look great! Now I just have to find someone to make them for me! I’m a terrible cook! HAHA
If I can make these so can you!
I love the idea of having a tea party with scones!
Ooooh love me some scones and clotted cream! Fun to know how to make them! Thanks.
I have never had clotted cream. It will be fun to try it out. Do you serve it cold?
Yes! I do let it soften a bit out of the fridge.
this looks so delicious! mmmm Tea and scones! We don’t have enough of that where I live!
This all sounds so good, and I love Downton Abbey!
I’ve never heard of clotted cream…looks delicious!!
I have never been a tea drinker, but this is making me want to try it again!
I began the practice of afternoon tea time after my first trip to Scotland in 2014. I love scones and clotted cream. However I am now dairy free and plant based. Your recipes look amazing though. If you ever come across a good vegan, gluten free scone, let me know! 😉
I have never heard of clotted cream before – that was actually pretty fascinating. And homemade scones? Yum!