This is a traditional Scottish recipe but the love people have for this tasty potato snack isn’t limited to just Scotland. Appreciation for ‘tattie’ scones has spread across the globe… and our recipe proves it.
We think one of the reasons people love them so much is because of their simplicity – pantry staple ingredients and an easy to follow recipe.
What are tattie scones?
Aye, while a tattie scone (also known as a potato cake in some parts of the UK) would be a familiar savoury delight in Scotland, you’d be forgiven for being a little confused. Despite their similar name, they don’t have much in common with an Aussie potato cake, or potato scallop – they have more of a doughy texture.
Pssst… don’t tell the takeaway shops, but we think these are much tastier!
Traditional tattie scones look like thin pancakes and are served hot. Brits love adding them to an ultimate big breakfast. Just imagine piling slices of bacon, eggs, roast tomatoes, sausages and mushrooms on top. Delicious! (Or as the Scots would say – “braw!”)
What makes this version so great?
If you’re thinking, “but I could just buy a hashbrown to go with breakfast”, you would be missing out on a rich depth of flavour that knocks any plain tattie scone or hashbrown out of the park. We got it by adding grated double Gloucester cheese with onion and chives. It truly takes a humble potato to flavour heights we didn’t even know it could reach!
So where’s the recipe?
Okay, okay… we’d be eager to try out these traditional tattie scones ASAP as well. Not only are they a delicious breakfast food, but you can have them at any time of day.
A typical tattie scone is made with mashed potato (potato and butter—no milk is used—with salt to taste) and plain flour is added to make it into a dough which is then rolled out and put on a griddle (Scots: girdle) to cook.
My understanding is that a potato cake is thicker than a tattie scone and is crispy on the outside and made from chopped up or sliced potato. A tattie scone is quite thin and made from mashed potatoes and flour.
It seems the Irish call them Potato bread, the English call them potato cakes (Lancashire), Scottish call them potato scones (tottie scones). Irish potato bread is typically made from mashed potato, and either flour or baking soda, and is usually fried.
As well as being a peerless accompaniment to a fry-up, they are delicious hot with melted butter, or cold and blini-style with smoked fish and cream cheese. Proper Scots even like them scone-style with jam and a cup of strong tea.
It is always served with mashed potatoes (called "tatties") and mashed turnips (called "neeps"). Keep in mind that depending on where you are located, neeps may mean something different. In England, neeps are considered turnips. However, in Scotland, neeps are considered rutabaga.
Scones are thought to have originated in Scotland in the early 1500s and the first known print reference was made by a Scottish poet in 1513. Scones were originally made using oats, shaped into a large round and scored into four or six wedges.
Serve warm or cold. (*) This is the weight after cooking. Be sure to use floury potatoes if you can. Waxy potatoes make the tattie scones heavier and the dough is impossibly sticky.
'Tatties' is short for potatoes, and is used in Scotland, Nothumberland and Cumbria. Though there is a dish 'neeps and tatties' (bashed up or mashed turnips* and potatoes), the word alone is used for any kind of potato.
Biscuits and scones have the same British ancestor, but the early Southern colonists' version included butter, lard, buttermilk, and soft wheat, plentiful in the South. Over time, this fluffy and layered bread evolved into a regional commodity: the Southern biscuit.
British scones are more closely related to American biscuits. While a British "biscuit" is what we would call a crunchy cookie! Sometimes made with raisins or sultanas, British scones are on the plain side compared with American scones, which are typically heavily flavored and topped with a drizzle or glaze.
So, what is a full Scottish breakfast? Usually made up of bacon, link sausages, Lorne sausage (also known as square sausage or slice), black pudding, haggis, baked beans, fried mushrooms and tomatoes, toast, tattie scones and fried eggs, the full Scottish breakfast is a sight to behold.
Aye, while a tattie scone (also known as a potato cake in some parts of the UK) would be a familiar savoury delight in Scotland, you'd be forgiven for being a little confused. Despite their similar name, they don't have much in common with an Aussie potato cake, or potato scallop – they have more of a doughy texture.
Scones are traditionally Irish, Scottish, and English foods. However, nobody knows which of these countries invented the baked food. As far as history can trace back, Scones probably originate from Scotland. Yes, the first print reference dates back to 1513 and is from a Scottish poet.
A scone (/ˈskɒn/ SKON or /ˈskoʊn/ SKOHN) is a traditional British baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash.
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Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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