Scone
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Scone
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A scone is a single-serving cake or quick bread.
They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder
as a leavening agent, and are baked on sheet pans.
They are often lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea
or Devonshire tea. It differs from a tea cake
and other sweet buns, which are made with yeast.
Lexicology
The pronunciation of the word within
the United Kingdom varies. According to one academic study, two-thirds of the
British population pronounce it /ˈskɒn/ with the
preference rising to 99% in the Scottish population. This is also the pronunciation
of Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders. Other regions, particularly the
United States and Ireland, pronounce the word as /ˈskoʊn/. The
pronunciation /ˈskʊn/ is also
used, particularly in Ireland. British dictionaries usually show the
"con" form as the preferred pronunciation, while recognising that the
"cone" form also exists.[1]
The difference in pronunciation is
alluded to in the poem which contains the lines:
"I asked the maid in dulcet tone
To order me a buttered scone
The silly girl has been and gone
And ordered me a buttered scone."
The Oxford
English Dictionary reports
that the first mention of the word was in 1513. Origin of the word scone
is obscure and may, in fact, derive from different sources. That is, the
classic Scottish scone which, according to Sheila MacNiven Cameron in The
Highlander's Cookbook, originated as a bannock
cut into pieces; and the Dutch schoonbrood or "spoonbread"
(very similar to the drop scone); and possibly other, similar and similarly
named quick breads, may have made their way onto the British tea table, where
their similar names merged into one.
Thus, scone may derive from
the Middle Dutch schoonbrood (fine white bread), from schoon
(pure, clean) and brood (bread).[2]
And/or it may also derive from the Scots Gaelic term "sgonn" meaning
a shapeless mass or large mouthful. The Middle Low German term "Schönbrot" meaning fine bread may
also have played a role in the origination of this word. And if the mythology
put forward by Sheila MacNiven Cameron be true, the word may also be based on
the town of Scone, Scotland, the ancient capital of that country -- where Scottish
monarchs were still crowned even after the capital was moved to Perth, then to
Edinburgh; on whose Scone Stone the
monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom are still crowned today.[3]
History
The original scone was round and
flat, usually the size of a medium size plate. It was made with unleavened oats
and baked on a griddle (or girdle, in Scots),
then cut into triangle-like quadrants for serving. Today, many would call the
large round cake a bannock, and call the quadrants scones. In Scotland, the
words are often used interchangeably.[4]
When baking powder
became available to the masses, scones began to be the oven-baked,
well-leavened items we know today.[5]
Modern scones are widely available in British and Irish bakeries, grocery stores,
and supermarkets. A 2005 market report estimated the UK scone market to be
worth £64m, showing a 9% increase over the previous five years. The increase is
partly due to an increasing consumer preference for impulse and convenience
foods.[6]
Scones sold commercially are usually
round, although some brands are hexagonal as this shape may be tessellated for
space efficiency. When prepared at home, they take various shapes including
triangles, rounds and squares.[7][8]
Baking scones at home is often closely tied to heritage baking. They tend to be
made from family recipes rather than recipe books, since it is often a family
member who holds the "best" and most-treasured recipe.[9]
Varieties
British scones are often lightly
sweetened, but may also be savoury. They frequently include raisins, currants,
cheese
or dates. In Scotland and Ulster, savoury varieties of scone include soda scones,
also known as soda farls, and potato scones,
normally known as tattie scones, which resemble small, thin savoury pancakes
made with potato flour. Potato scones are most commonly served fried in a full Scottish breakfast or an Ulster fry.
The griddle scone
(or "girdle scone" in Scots)
is a variety of scone which is fried rather than baked. This usage is also
common in New Zealand where scones, of all varieties, form an important part of
the traditional cuisine.
Other common varieties include the dropped
scone, or drop scone, like a pancake, after the method of dropping
the batter onto the griddle or frying pan to cook it, and the lemonade scone,
which is made with lemonade and cream instead of butter and milk.
Also, there is the fruit scone or
fruited scone, which contains currants, sultanas, peel and glace cherries,
which is just like a plain round scone with the fruit kneaded into the dough.
In some countries one may also
encounter savoury
varieties of scone which may contain or be topped with combinations of cheese, onion, bacon, etc.
Regional
variations
Europe
Scones were chosen as the Republic of Ireland representative for Café Europe
during the Austrian
Presidency of the European Union in 2006 while the United Kingdom chose shortbread.
In Hungary, a pastry very similar to
the British version exists under the name "pogácsa". The name has been adopted by
several neighbouring nations' languages. (E.g. Pogatsche in German.) Pogácsa is
almost always savoury and served with varied seasonings and toppings: like dill
and cheese.
Australia
Pumpkin scones, made by adding mashed cooked pumpkin to the dough
mixture, had increased exposure during the period when Florence
Bjelke-Petersen was in the public eye.[10]
Date scones, which contain chopped dried dates, can also be found in Australia.
Another old style of cooking scones, generally in the colder months, is to
deep-fry or deep pan-fry them in dripping or oil, called
"puftaloons".
Americas
Round-shaped British scones can
resemble North American biscuits in appearance, but scones rely on cold butter for their
delicate, flaky texture, while biscuits are more often made with animal fat or
vegetable shortening and are crumbly rather than flaky. Also, while scones are
served with coffee and tea or as a dessert, biscuits are served more as a
bread, often with breakfast.[9]
In recent years, scones under that
name have begun to appear in coffee houses. They are
universally sweet, often containing fruit such as blueberries
or raspberries,
or else such flavorings as cinnamon.
In Utah, the bread products locally called
"scones" are similar to Native American frybread
and are made from a sweet yeast dough, with buttermilk and baking powder and/or
soda added, and they are fried rather than baked. They are customarily served
with butter and honey.[11]
Scones are quite popular in Argentina
as well as Uruguay
(brought by Irish, English and Scottish immigrants and from Welsh immigrants in
Patagonia; Britons are the third foreign community in Argentina).[12]
They are usually accompanied by tea, coffee or mate.[13]
Other
usage
In Scots
the verb scon means to crush flat or beat with the open hand on a flat
surface, and "scon-cap" or "scone-cap" refers to a man's
broad flat cap or "bunnet".
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