Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Scone Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g yellow cornmeal
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 15 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, frozen or very cold
- 180 ml buttermilk, cold
- 15 ml heavy cream
Bay-Scented Plum Compote
- 350 g plums, pitted and roughly diced
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml water
Honey Jam
- 150 g mild honey
- 60 ml water
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml liquid fruit pectin
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 419 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 71 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 389 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 34 mg
- Potassium
- 192 mg
- Calcium
- 152 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 46 mg
- Phosphorus
- 168 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 119 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 87 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, 50g granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Grate the frozen unsalted butter directly into the flour mixture using a box grater. Toss the mixture lightly with your fingers to ensure the butter shreds are coated in flour and evenly distributed.
Pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a spatula to gently fold the mixture until a shaggy dough just begins to form. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it gently into a 20cm disc. Cut the disc into 8 equal wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each.
Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of the scones with the heavy cream.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
While the scones bake, combine the diced plums, 50g granulated sugar, fresh bay leaves, 15ml lemon juice, and 30ml water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the fruit breaks down and thickens into a compote. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves.
To make the honey jam, combine the honey, 60ml water, and remaining 15ml lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Quickly stir in the liquid pectin and boil for exactly 1 minute.
Remove the honey mixture from the heat and carefully pour it into a heatproof jar. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes until it sets into a soft jelly.
Serve the warm cornmeal scones generously smeared with the set honey jam and topped with a spoonful of the bay-scented plum compote.
Chef's Notes
- Grating frozen butter is a professional technique that creates perfectly uniform, tiny butter pockets throughout the dough without melting it with the heat of your hands.
- Fresh bay leaves contain essential oils that impart a complex, almost eucalyptus-like herbal note to fruit. Dried bay leaves can work in a pinch, but they often lack the delicate top notes of the fresh leaf.
- For the best texture contrast, look for a stone-ground medium cornmeal rather than finely milled corn flour. The slight grit pairs beautifully with the jam.
- Pectin activation requires an exact rolling boil. Set a timer as soon as you add the pectin to the honey mixture; cutting the boil short will result in a runny syrup.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store scones and preserves in separate airtight containers. Compote and jam will keep longer than scones.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze baked scones tightly wrapped. Do not freeze the honey jam as the texture will degrade.
Reheating: Warm scones in a 150C/300F oven for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Troubleshooting
Scones are dense and tough
Cause: The dough was overworked, developing too much gluten, or the butter melted before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Handle the dough as little as possible and ensure butter and buttermilk are very cold
Honey jam did not set into a jelly
Cause: The pectin was not boiled for a full minute, or the acidity from the lemon was insufficient
Fix: Return to the saucepan, bring back to a boil for 1 minute, then cool again
Prevention: Maintain a rolling boil for exactly 60 seconds after adding pectin to activate it
Plum compote is too watery
Cause: The plums released excess moisture and were not simmered long enough to evaporate the water
Fix: Return to low heat and reduce until thickened
Prevention: Simmer uncovered until the desired consistency is reached
Cultural Context
Cornmeal features prominently in traditional Southern American and Indigenous baking, lending a distinct sweetness and rustic crumb to breads and pastries. By integrating it into a British-style scone and pairing it with a sophisticated, French-inspired bay leaf fruit compote, this recipe bridges rustic American heritage with refined European pastry techniques.
