Scones are old. Scones are so old that they have gone through multiple name changes in the past (nearly) 600 years. Skon, skohn, sgon (rhymes with “gone”) and scone are just some of the names people have used throughout the ages. The name itself is derived from Scotland where this quickbread/pastry/baked good got its name from “The Stone of Destiny” where coronations of Kings were held. However, some reports trace scones to Middle Dutch or middle German where they were often referred to as, “schoonbrott” or “schrombrot” respectively, meaning fine bread.
Scones as we know them today as a leavened bread, did not come about until the invention of baking soda/powder in the mid-1800s. The use of these ingredients allows the batter to rise and become plump with the heat of the oven. Because scones do not and did not use yeast to leaven, people originally used other methods of making scones that did not involve baking or hot ovens. Rather, people would use griddle, or gridle methods. In utilizing this method, the baker (please excuse the term, as they are not really baking IMO) drops batter onto a hot pan or griddle to fry it. In Utah and Idaho, people often deep fry the batter, which materializes to something resembling frybread (which is absolutely delicious, especially with a bowl of spicy chili).
Scones are often shaped into triangles, rounds, or diamonds. It has been said that the original scones were roughly triangle shaped, made with oats and griddle-baked. When people refer to scones in Britain they are often referring to American biscuits and as is commonly known, a British biscuit is an American cookie.
There is also a difference in what various cultures prefer in/on their scones. Americans often add cranberries, blueberries, orange zest,chocolate chips or nuts to the batter before it is rolled and cut. In American coffee shops scones may not only feature dried fruits, but will be topped off with a bit of icing or a sprinkle of sugar. However, often times nothing is added. Rather they are baked like biscuits and cut open when cooled where one can add honey, jam or butter to it. Again, much like an American biscuit. The Brits use similar natural sweetners such as dates, nuts, currants or raisins whereas in their native Scotland, scones sare made with potatoes and resemble latkes where they are eaten with breakfast.
