A flaky scone is always a welcome treat fresh from the oven. Couple that with the tartness of rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb jam, add a dollop of British clotted cream, and you’ve entered scone nirvana! The scone has tiny bits of frozen rhubarb from the spring harvest mixed in and richness from using heavier cream instead of milk in the scone. Each scone can be cut in half and spread with the generous help of our homemade strawberry rhubarb jam. 

I love springtime; it’s a time to watch the snow go, and plants emerge. One of the first fruits of a Northern Ontario summer is the rhubarb. Its large green leaves unfurl a top of small pink stems. The pink stems are the sweetest and most tender. As the rhubarb plant matures, the stalks can become thick and tough. Those stalks are better suited to sauces and, yes, jam-making. I was super fortunate this year to find a gentleman gifting his rhubarb crop. I filled the freezer as fast as I could for the year!

The finely chopped frozen rhubarb in the scone offers some moisture and a very slight tart flavor. 

If you love fresh spring fruits and scones as much as we do, why not try our strawberry sauce and scone with whipped cream?

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Flavor Harmony: Rhubarb scones, especially when paired with strawberry rhubarb jam and clotted cream, offer a delightful combination of flavors. 

Texture Contrast: Rhubarb scones have a tender and flaky texture, while strawberry rhubarb jam provides a smooth and fruity consistency. Pairing these with clotted cream adds a thick and velvety texture, creating a delightful contrast of textures in each bite.

Comfort and Tradition: Scones are a beloved British tradition, often associated with cozy afternoon tea gatherings or breakfast rituals. The addition of seasonal fruits like rhubarb and strawberries adds a touch of freshness and excitement to this classic treat, making it a cherished indulgence for many.

Make these simple rhubarb scones one step at a time.

The first thing we need to do is gather our ingredients. Growing up, I loved making tea biscuits and scones are similar in that they have relatively few ingredients and are simple to prepare. 

Our sweet rhubarb scone used half and half cream for a slightly richer scone base. We also made sure we diced our tart rhubarb into small pieces so that it was blended more and less chunky inside the scone. Scones, after all, are known for their flaky nature, not bits of this a that. The rhubarb offers a bit of extra moisture and a slight tartness. 

In a large bowl, blend the dry ingredients. Now using a pastry cutter cut in the cold butter until it resembles a coarse crumb. Set aside. Now we need to crack the eggs. One egg white is reserved while the other whole egg is used. You want to reserve the egg white for brushing the tops of your rhubarb scones before baking. Beat the cream and eggs nice and smooth, then add to the wet ingredients to the dry mixing as you do so. Remember any dairy like yogurt or sour cream will also work in the scone, including heavy whipped cream. Get adventurous and experiment with your scones!

When they are well combined, you can add in the chopped rhubarb. We used frozen rhubarb, which has more moisture from freezing. Partially unthaw the rhubarb if you wish before adding. If you notice a lot of extra water, drain or squeeze gently before adding to the scones. You can also use fresh rhubarb in this recipe. If using fresh choose only small pink stalks as they are the sweetest. 

Working the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead it gently working in small amounts of extra flour until it is no longer sticky. Be sure to only add a little flour, or it will become harder to roll out. Too little, and it will stick to the rolling pin. 

Roll the scones out on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Be careful to roll the dough thick enough, or it won’t rise enough to be able to be cut open afterward. The rhubarb scones are then brushed with the remaining egg white and sprinkled with crystallized sugar. The extra sugar adds sweetness to an otherwise sugar-deprived scone. Add more sugar to the base mix if you prefer your scones to be sweeter. 

Place your scones on a prepared baking sheet. I love using parchment because, over the years, I have just realized I hate scrubbing supposedly non-stick baking sheets. If you are baking directly on your baking sheet, grease it slightly.

We will be baking these at a high temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until done. 

Remember, if you have an oven light and an oven window, you can still see through it will be your saving grace. Only open the oven if you must, as the oven temperature can drop quickly with the door open. The bottom edges of a fully baked scone should be lightly brown. Having been brushed with egg whites before baking, these should have a lovely golden hue when baked fully.

Remove the rhubarb scones from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. 

Making the strawberry rhubarb jam recipe 

If this is your first time making jam I promise you it is a simple process if you would like to make an easy strawberry rhubarb jam fresh instead of purchasing it at the store. I made this version using frozen store-bought sweet strawberries and rhubarb.  

Measure four cups of each strawberry and rhubarb. Cut the rhubarb into bite-sized pieces because they will break down as they cook better. Add the fruit and a quarter cup of water to keep it from sticking to a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Continue to cook and mash the fruit with a potato masher until it’s broken down into much smaller pieces and thawed completely. Turn the temperature down if it looks like it may boil over. 

Add seven cups of sugar when the fruits have reached a rolling boil. The mixture will have dropped in temperature from the addition of the sugar. So let it come back to a full rolling boil and cook it for one minute before removing it from the heat. When you take the mixture off the heat stir in the Certo (fruit pectin powder) and lower the temperature on the stove to low. 

Return the pot to medium heat and continue the cooking process for five minutes while you skim the top of the jam. Skim it off with a small handheld sieve or skimmer. Keep skimming and stirring for the full five minutes. This is an actual jam recipe from the Certo brand which can be jarred if you wish. If jarring in jam jars follow proper sterilization procedure to do so. You must use a clean damp cloth to wipe the top of the jar ring area when putting the lids on if there is any spillage when jarring.

Be very careful when working with hot sterilized jars and piping hot jam as it can easily cause burns. 

If you are just making it to eat in the next month then you can simply put the jam into large clean jars in the fridge. Allow the jam to fully cool before placing it in the fridge. 

Jarred jam can be stored in a cool dark place until ready to use for up to one year. Please double-check that the lids seal properly by inverting the button in the center of the top. You should hear a popping noise when they close. If they don’t seal, store them in the fridge.

This easy recipe for strawberry-rhubarb homemade jam is great on these perfect scones but also wonderful on many other foods like toast, French toast, waffles, etc. 

Remember the sweet pieces of skimmed fruit that didn’t fully break down in the jam-making process? Save that to top your ice cream or an angel food cake! For a sweet treat. 

The Added Clotted Cream For The Best Scones.

What is British clotted cream? It’s a dairy product that is smooth and creamy with a slight buttery flavor. It’s a traditional accompaniment to the scone with jam. Purchases in only some local grocers for a rather high price tag some people have taken to making themselves.

Out of curiosity, I also purchased the Carnation canned ‘Thick cream’ found in the baking aisle. It has a flavor similar to that of their condensed milk and appears to be condensed milk condensed even further to the thick, spreadable cream. However, it does have some whey as well. You can strain that off and use it instead of the clotted cream for an equally acceptable sweet treat with a considerably smaller price tag. 

Ingredients:

Rhubarb: This springtime perennial has long been used in cooking and baking. Generally in Canada mid-May through early June is rhubarb season. Seasonal rhubarb is favored for its ease of growth and as a unique taste that is often described as tart, tangy, and slightly sour. The smaller new stalks with pinkish color are often sweeter with less stringy texture. The older green stalks are stringier and tarter. Choosing the mix of both for making your frozen mix will ensure you get the best of both worlds. The large tough stalks are well-suited to making jams. Be sure to stay tuned for more great rhubarb recipes!

Cold Butter: When cold butter is incorporated into the dough, it remains in solid form for longer during mixing and shaping. As the scones bake, the cold butter melts and creates steam pockets within the dough, leading to flakiness and a light, tender texture.

Half and Half Creamer: As the name suggests half and half is equal parts milk and cream. Generally, this creamer is sold as 10% milk fat in Canada. 

Baking Powder: One of the best sciencey ingredients. This leavening agent helps the chemical processes in baking to make baked goods rise. I always have a good amount of this pantry staple on hand as it’s in a lot of baking. 

Salt: This ingredient is great at balancing and enhancing flavors in your baking. In this particular instance, it strengthens the gluten structure in the dough, which affects the texture and crumb of the baked scones.

Sugar:  The white sugar helps to create that beautiful golden color when the scones are baking while also contributing to its soft texture. Of course, adding sugar also balances out the tartness of the rhubarb in this recipe. 

Eggs: The moisture from eggs helps to keep the scones moist and tender, contributing to their overall texture and preventing them from becoming dry or crumbly. 

Strawberry: In the jam the strawberries’ sweetness helps to balance out the tartness of the rhubarb, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. We used frozen instead of fresh strawberries. 

Substitutions for the Scones & Jam

Rhubarb:  You can use another fruit in this recipe. Fruits that work well in scones are; blueberries, apples, peaches, cherries, raspberries, apricots, raisins or currant, and a whole lot more. Again pay attention to the moisture content in the fruit and remove extra moisture as needed

Cold Butter: You can make equally acceptable scones using shortening of another variety. I have made flaky scones with neutral oil and coconut oil before. For those who don’t use butter margarine will also work. I don’t recommend using Becel though as it has a higher water content making it ill-suited to baking. 

Half and Half Creamer: This 10% milk-fat dairy creamer can be subbed with literally any milk fat level. The higher fat level makes a fluffy baked good whereas lower fat milk products will change the overall texture of the scone. Feel free to experiment to find your preferred dairy. I have made scones with Greek yogurt and sour cream before with positive results. 

Baking Powder: Have you just discovered the horror of horrors mid-recipe that you are out of this pantry staple? Don’t panic! Here is a suitable substitution. 

To substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking powder in a scone recipe, you can use:

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (or another acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar)

Salt: If you have dietary restrictions note omitting salt entirely from your scone recipe may result in a noticeable change in flavor and texture, but it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker. Without salt, your scones may be slightly less tender and have a different crumb structure. However, the texture difference may not be significant. Please note I have not tested making the scones without salt. 

Sugar: Artificial sweeteners like stevia, sucralose (Splenda), or aspartame can be used as sugar substitutes in scone recipes. These sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, so you’ll need to use a much smaller amount. Be aware that some artificial sweeteners may have a slightly different taste or aftertaste compared to sugar. Alternatively, I find coconut sugar, which is a natural sweetener made from the sap of coconut palm trees, a great alternative. It has a caramel-like flavor and can be used as a 1:1 substitute for granulated sugar in most recipes.

Eggs: Can be replaced with egg substitutes or alternatives. Note that as an egg lover, I have not tested this recipe using alternates so your results will vary. 

Strawberry: The strawberry rhubarb jam can be made into strawberry jam by replacing the rhubarb with 100% strawberries. Alternatively, you can follow the directions inside the Certo box to make any fresh fruit jam for the scones. I chose the strawberry rhubarb combo because it complements the subtle rhubarbness of the scones. 

Not so much a substitution but a change; you can roll the scones out thicker to 1-inch thickness for extra tall scones. Just remember to adjust your baking time. 

Expert Tips, serving, and storing suggestions:

Tip #1: Be sure to preheat your oven to 425F for an accurate bake time.

Tip #2: Do not over-flour your work surface when rolling the scones, as they will become floury on the outside.

Tip #3: Do not overbake. Some ovens will vary in temperature and baking times. 

If you don’t want to make an entire batch of strawberry rhubarb jam you can simply make a strawberry rhubarb sauce by stewing the desired amounts of fruits together until it cooks down (liquid evaporates) and add as much white sugar as preferred for the desired sweetness. 

These fruit scones are great served with our homemade strawberry rhubarb jam and a generous amount of thick clotted cream. If you prefer you can simply butter the scones fresh from the oven. They open just as a flaky homemade biscuit. Be sure to store uneaten scones in an airtight container after they have cooled completely. 

Baked scones can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. The best scone though is a freshly baked scone so don’t be shy in sharing these with your family and friends. 

Have you tried this delightful springtime combination? If you have made the strawberry-rhubarb jam or the rhubarb scones we would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment below the recipe card.