By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- 5(330)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Scones with jam is classic. But in most cases the jam is served alongside; here, we’ve baked it right into the pastry. This recipe calls for a whipping up a quickly made plum and honey jam scented with bay leaf (you can substitute a rosemary sprig or cinnamon stick if you’d rather). If that seems like one step too many, use any prepared jam you like, though something on the less sweet side works best. Or bake the cornmeal scones unfilled. They are moist, lightly sweet and perfectly satisfying all on their own.
Featured in: Jammy Goodness From the Inside Out
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:8 scones
- 3tablespoons/45 milliliters honey
- 1bay leaf
- ¾pound plums/⅓ kilogram, halved, pitted and then cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¾cup/175 milliliters heavy cream, more as needed
- 1large egg, at room temperature
- 1⅔cups/275 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅓cup/60 grams fine cornmeal
- 3tablespoons/35 grams sugar
- 2teaspoons/7 grams baking powder
- ½teaspoon/2 grams kosher salt
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed, plus more for serving if you like
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
376 calories; 18 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 186 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
See AlsoLearn to Make Hardtack | Easy Traditional RecipeA Northumberland Cottage Kitchen Recipe: Stotty Cake (Stottie Cake)Bannock Bread Cast Iron Skillet Camping Recipe | Glamping or CampingOld Fashioned Rock Cake Recipe1
Put honey and bay leaf in a medium skillet over medium heat. Simmer until honey is bubbling and turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes.
Step
2
Place plums in honey. Cook, without moving, until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir plums and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, until tender but not falling completely apart. If the caramel starts to get too brown, stir in a teaspoon or two of water and lower the heat. Scrape plums and syrup into a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. (Plum compote can be made up to a week ahead.)
Step
3
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Step
4
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the cream and egg.
Step
5
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt (or you can do this in a food processor). Using a fork, pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut butter into flour until the mixture forms coarse crumbs (or pulse in a food processor). Drizzle in as much of the cream mixture as you need to make a smooth, moist but not wet dough. Save remaining cream-egg mixture for brushing.
Step
6
Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet. Pat into a 1¼-inch thick round. Using a paring knife, cut 8 wedge-shaped scones (as though you were cutting slices of pie) and push them apart on the baking sheet to separate them ½ inch apart. Brush dough with remaining cream-egg mixture, or use more cream if you’ve run out of the mixture.
Step
7
Using your fingertips, make a deep indentation about 1 inch in diameter in the center of each scone. Tuck some plum into the hole. Transfer pan to oven and bake until uniformly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve scones with extra plum compote and butter on the side if you like.
Ratings
5
out of 5
330
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Grayson
A go to recipe for me! 15 min. is the perfect amount of time. I was left with a lot of jam so I stored it in the fridge and have used it over the weeks. I particularly love the cornmeal. I tried it with part cornmeal, part whole wheat, and part all purpose flour and didn't like it the texture or the flavor. I think I will be sticking to the original on this one!
Thank you!!!
Lois
These are ok but I prefer the texture of a regular scone and... eh. The plum sauce is fabulous and could be used on anything. Also 18 min made the scone overdone.
Dee
1 and 2/3 cups of flour does not equal 275 grams. A bit puzzling.Next time I would cook higher up in oven as bottoms were too brown by the time these were baked.
Janice
This is now my go-to scone recipe; I've made it many many times. Outstanding taste and texture. For convenience, I often substitute whatever jam or preserves I have on had for the plum topping.
Heidi
Very difficult to keep the plums in the indentation on top. They kept slipping off! Still very tasty but rather messy. Perhaps incorporating them into the dough better than placing on top.
Lisa
Loved the cornmeal in this scone! I didn't have any cream on hand, so I used evaporated milk for -- both inside and brushing outside -- and they were delicious with a lovely texture. Will use as my other go-to scone recipe.
Lois
These were okay. Watch them cause they don't take too long to cook. I guess I prefer the texture of a traditional scone. Fruit was really good. I just poured a bit on top.
Jean
Can use buttermilk
lucy
1 cup GF flour2/3 cup almond flour
Dominique
Made this in my food processor as described and the texture and flavor is perfect. Came together easily and baked for 15 min. Will keep this recipe as my go to for scones!
Rebecca
Required all the cream-egg mixture to get the dough to come together; used extra cream for brushing. Like others, I found the plum compote overflowed the indentation, but I don’t want to use less of it because it’s so tasty. As a result, mine won’t win prizes for looks, but they taste lovely.
s.martiny
No worries if you can’t separate the wedges because the dough is too soft. Score, bake till almost done, than separate. Put them back in the oven for a couple more minutes.
Kate
I replaced the cream with full fat plain yogurt and it worked well. I also incorporated the compote into the dough rather than putting it on top, and froze the scones before putting them in the oven.These were good but I'm a little iffy on the cornmeal dough. The compote was amazing, though - I may try using it with a more traditional scone base recipe next time.
Cara
So excited to make these again tomorrow morning! We’re lucky enough to have some Masa in the house and I still have some plum compote left from last week, so I’m gonna bump up the cornmeal ratio just a little bit (we really enjoyed the different texture and nuttiness it added last time). My hubby has been obsessed with the NYT strawberry drop biscuits all summer and very solemnly told me that these scones might be better, lol. Thank you Melissa Clarke & NYT for another delightful & easy recipe!!
niquej
Used buttermilk and whole milk greek yoghurt since i didn’t have full cream. Instead of 2 tsp of baking powder, used 1,5 tsp and 1/2 tsp baking soda. I used the tip of a rounded knife to create an indent on the scone. The plum compote stayed nicely cradled in the the egg yoghurt wash. Wonderful results, scrumptious! Took 17 min baking time, they were perfect!
jacksonh
Yum! Made as directed with the exception of adding a drizzle of balsamic to my compote ( my plums were VERY sweet). A lot of compote happened... so I can add to all the things needing sweet deliciousness this week. Scones were super flaky and delicious, I loved the little bit of texture from the cornmeal.
Jilbers
Followed directions but had my own plum star anise jam to use verses what was offered. The milk and egg mixture was plenty for 2 batches and that's what I did to use up the excess. Turned out beautifully. Nice size and very tasty.
Lisa
Loved the cornmeal in this scone! I didn't have any cream on hand, so I used evaporated milk for -- both inside and brushing outside -- and they were delicious with a lovely texture. Will use as my other go-to scone recipe.
Sky
Melissa does it again! My absolute favorite scone recipe. I used strawberries this morning instead of plumbs for the compote: so delicious. I love the technique of cooking fruit down in honey instead of sugar as it makes for a richer jam. I only had medium grain cornmeal in the house. The lovely toothsome crunch that it brought to the recipe was an added bonus.
Heidi
Very difficult to keep the plums in the indentation on top. They kept slipping off! Still very tasty but rather messy. Perhaps incorporating them into the dough better than placing on top.
Dee
1 and 2/3 cups of flour does not equal 275 grams. A bit puzzling.Next time I would cook higher up in oven as bottoms were too brown by the time these were baked.
Procrastibaker
I like the idea of this recipe, and the scones, as pictured are really pretty. But why the vagary on the amount of wet to dry? The recipe specifies fine cornmeal and white flour, pretty consistent products. The amount should have been nailed down in testing. I ended up adding a bit too much of the wet mix and they were then a huge pain to slice and organize on the pan.
Randy
Cornmeal and flour aren't as consistent as you think. Dry ingredients will contain considerably more moisture in Seattle than a low-humidity environment like, say, Santa Fe. It's not possible to say exactly how much liquid to use.
Wes
Good basic scone recipe. Cornmeal gives a different texture that is a nice change-up. Overall flavor is rather plain, though, unless you are getting a bite of the fruit compote (which is awesome). Make sure to serve with add’l. jam.We used apple instead of plum (they are out of season), and it tasted great.
Private notes are only visible to you.
