So we were on holiday last week and I had a cream tea, which caused some minor disagreement within the family.....
Now I'm a Jam first then cream person - which I believe is Cornish, and also the way it's served at Buckingham Palace - so it must be the right way....
My thinking is the jam makes a great base to dollop and spread the cream on to, if you do it the other (wrong/Devon) then the cream just goes manky with jam and turns all pink and weird.......
My Daughter wrongly believes that the Devon/wrong method is correct - but she's only 15 and hasn't got the years of experience with scones, jam and cream that I have......
Also some disagreement on what's the correct pronunciation of 'Scone'?
I'm in the 'Skon' camp - as apparently is most of the UK (including the late Queen).
Although my Daughter and many southerners I am lead to believe go for the more posher sounding 'Skoun' - as apparently do the Americans - but what do they know right?
So what's STW's take on this?
(If anyone knows how to do a poll on here that would be a great way to see the results!!)
Skon
Jam first then cream
Skon as in gone.
Jam first. It's just less messy.
All depends on the consistency of the cream and the jam.
Last time I found myself in this situation was on a British Airways flight. The cream was much thicker than the jam so made sense to add the cream, then dollop the jam on top.
Scone size also matters. These were small, so dolloping gave enough coverage. Hat they been larger, spreading would have been required.
Jam then cream. Obviously. It hardly needs to be asked. We're not animals.
Also agree on the dob v spread distinction.
We were once on hols in Devon enjoying a Scone (rhymes with bone. Again obvs) when we couldn't help but notice the horrific scenario playing out a couple of tables away. A man had broken his scone into two and was DIPPING IT into the jam and cream.
I'm still traumatised.
Just when you think you've been here long enough that nothing can shock you
You find the rest of the forum are absolute animals!
Nicko74 has it right
You are correct in all respects OP, with one caveat. I trust you are buttering the "Skon" before layering the jam and then cream? As custom, common sense and (I believe) law dictate?
Butter AND cream????
Butter is reserved for savoury skons - of which cheese is the superior.
This comes up from time to time, like which way the loo roll goes onto the holder - next sheet at the front or back. I'm always amazed that anyone has a 'correct way', never mind can remember which way they did it last time. Live a little, break some rules.
Generally jam first but if it's really thick clotted cream that'll go on first.
It has to be "skon" otherwise the Disappearing Cake joke doesn't work.
This comes up from time to time, like which way the loo roll goes onto the holder - next sheet at the front or back. I'm always amazed that anyone has a 'correct way', never mind can remember which way they did it last time. Live a little, break some rules.
Scone as in cone.
It depends what cream you are using. Thick clotted cream (which really is all that should ever be used on a scone) needs to go first as it can't be spread on top of jam. Although I'd be happy with a massive dollop! If runny cream has to be used it needs to go on top of the jam.
To be honest though, this is probably the most tedious debate ever as it all goes down the same hole so who gives a crap how people assemble their tasty treat or bloody say it! Christ people from Birmingham say buzz istead of bus but we know what they mean....
No debate.
Skon. The only time it's Skoun is when referring to the town in Perthshire.
And jam first. Don't **** with the Cornish.
All depends on the consistency of the cream and the jam.
This.
Jam first in most cases .. but, where there is proper thick clotted cream that spreads like soft butter, then things get reversed.
Scone rhymes with gone, it doesn't matter which topping you put on first.
No debate.
Skon. The only time it's Skoun is when referring to the town in Perthshire.
Oi! No! the town is Perthshire is Skooone, to rhyme with tune.
Not Skon to rhyme with gone.
or Skone to rhyme with tone.
And it's cream, then jam you philistines.
Scone as in cone.
I do one half jam first, one cream. Then when people get annoyed I let them argue with each other while I enjoy my scones in peace.
A man had broken his scone into two and was DIPPING IT into the jam and cream
I may try this next time.
Skon
Cream then jam for me, but do whatever makes you happy as it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
I prefer a cheese scone with butter anyway.
Butter AND cream????
You say that like it's a bad thing? And you started so well....
The scone is a mere substrate to convey as much dairy and sugar into your gob with each bite as possible. Deliberately omitting a layer of cholesterol laden goodness is madness!
Come on. This is day one, week one of scone school isn't it?
There are days when I hold my head in my hands and weep at what has become of this country 😉
Did you have to queue for the skones or was it a scrum?
Skon as in prom.
Butter first, then Marmite.
End of.
Skon as in prom.
Butter first, then Marmite.
End of.
Acceptable, if we are talking cheese scones?
If however we are talking fruit scones, I shall be forced to report you to the authorities.
Scone as in cone.
Its appraisal season and i just checked who your TL is, do you really want to stick to that answer...
Scon
Scoon is a palace
Scown is is an indicator of severe uncouthery
Cream first, on the basis it's a dairy based butter replacement.
But, nothing makes my heart sink like ordering the perfect mid morning snack, and finding the cafe is using those pathetic 28g pots of Rhoddas clotted cream. ITS NOT ENOUGH!
40g just about does it, but National Trust in a couple of their Derbyshire cafes had 56g pots of some other brand. Happy days.
Even better is a good dollop in a little pot, better for being eco friendly.
Butter first, then Marmite.
While I'll grudgingly accept that the 'live and let spread' sentiments on this thread are probably the right ones, that ^^^ cannot stand!
Still it was only the other day when I was recalling another traumatising experience where my South African colleague "buttered his sausage with marmalade" - and yes that is as distributing and disgusting as it sounds - my friends all thought this was "absolutely fine" and, worse still, were considering giving it a try.
Sometimes it's a lonely occupation being the only same man in a world of idiots 🙂
Butter first, then Marmite.
While I'll grudgingly accept that the 'live and let spread' sentiments on this thread are probably the right ones, that ^^^ cannot stand!
Still it was only the other day when I was recalling another traumatising experience where my South African colleague "buttered his sausage with marmalade" - and yes that is as distributing and disgusting as it sounds - my friends all thought this was "absolutely fine" and, worse still, were considering giving it a try.
Sometimes it's a lonely occupation being the only same man in a world of idiots 🙂
Marmalade (and jam) is basically orange glaze.
I will allow it.
A man had broken his scone into two and was DIPPING IT into the jam and cream.
Dipping into the cream? *Maybe* possible with the jam but not clotted cream so cant have been the correct cream anyway; scones just dont have the tensile strength to be dipped/dragged into clotted cream
I used to be a cream first first person, as logically it seemed a swap for the butter.
I now realise that of course the bottom component gets to be just a layer, while the top component can be a mountain. Therefore cream has to go on top, as it's the whole point.
Scone rhymes with gone, unless you hold knife like pen and/or holiday in Dubai.
You could be right @nuke. I turned away and was shielding my (then) young children's eyes. No one should see that. Maybe he just stirred it in and ate it like some kind of mutant pudding. It's all very distressing. And now sausage marmalade love. On STW. The last bastion of the pedantic rule keepers.
Also our local farm shop makes fantastic scones. But she's also a bit of an experimenter. The garlic version was the size of my head with a density clearly modelled on the nearby Malvern rock. That would have been absolutely fine a) dipping into any kind of viscous dairy items and b) acting as a bludgeoning weapon.
I fear we are now entering the territory of the "drop scone" IFKYK.
YOUGOV.COM <Peter Kay mode>
Garlic? Scones? 😮
</Peter Kay mode>
Yeah I should have added not her finest creation 🙂 I gave them a try in the spirit of enquiry, but would not recommend.
A quick cake impression.
It’s Scone.
Cream first for me.
It has to be "skon" otherwise the Disappearing Cake joke doesn't work.
This comes up from time to time, like which way the loo roll goes onto the holder - next sheet at the front or back. I'm always amazed that anyone has a 'correct way', never mind can remember which way they did it last time. Live a little, break some rules.
Yeah but ergonomically having the paper touching the wall makes it harder to grab and then your polishing your arse with whatever’s on the wall 🙂
An aspect of the "which first" debate that has not been touched on is the sensation of biting into your half scone + topping. Do you want the cool creaminess to hit first, with the sweetness of the jam to be revealed slightly later, or the reverse?
But the mechanics of spreading can dictate the situation, as noted. Not only is the best clotted cream thick, but the best jam is home made, fresh and somewhat runny.
It has to be "skon" otherwise the Disappearing Cake joke doesn't work.
This comes up from time to time, like which way the loo roll goes onto the holder - next sheet at the front or back. I'm always amazed that anyone has a 'correct way', never mind can remember which way they did it last time. Live a little, break some rules.
Yeah but ergonomically having the paper touching the wall makes it harder to grab and then your polishing your arse with whatever’s on the wall 🙂
Or even polishing the wall...
