I once chose a Chocolate Soufflé instead of getting the best scones in Penang, and I still remember that decision.
When some friends found out I work online, they were intrigued and thought I was away all my afternoons having high tea whenever I was home.
Many thought I led Tai Tai’s lifestyle with wonderful teatime treats.
Yes, I am often amid great treats and surrounded by food.
One wanted to apply for a job with me.
Pepe: OMG, you get up at 11 AM and prep just for lunch, teas, and dinners. Do you eat suppers?
Me: Of course. NOT.
Pepe: This is not fair. Sounds, so Tai Tai <makes whinny puppy sounds>
I imagine his eyes welling up with “EYE MO” tears and his lips in a “why not me?” quiver.
Me: I bring you along.
Pepe: Let’s plan <claps gleefully>.
So, where would you go for a perfect classic English High Tea scone?
Afternoon tea <I take coffee, actually> on a lovely afternoon is one of those moments I instead spend with a good friend, chatting and catching up.
Seriously, they make the best teatime companion.
Yes, you are smirking as you read this.
We shall go again, Pepe!
For ladies who think of dolling up, wear a dress and the brightest pink lipstick; I’ll say, “Whatever rocks your boat, Sista!”
The boys and I like a place to chill from the afternoon heat and chat in the cool air.
Comfort away from the rest of the world and talk shop.
We like service, and the servers who come by occasionally to top up our teapots are lovely!
So, do you like tiny morsels? I like Scones!
The men like to have tea with me because I would order one entire cake if I could.
< think of cutting that cake into eight wedges that you eat holding in your hand, and you get the idea of my popularity>
But we also like to behave nicely in a nice restaurant, so we wait patiently and fawn over tiny “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and play mini pastries, finger sandwiches, cupcakes, and scones.
That’s after we spend 20 minutes arguing over what tea to choose from a list of 20!
Pepe: Aiyo, ridiculous, la you. One minute, I was putting forward questions and debating each tea.
Some of which I also cannot even pronounce and much less annunciate!
Me: <to waiter> May I have a coffee? Hot Americano, cold milk by the side?
And just Scones for me. Pepe will eat everything else you serve.
Pepe: <faints>
Contents
The Science of a Perfect Scone
Before we started eating, Pepe and I lively discussed what makes the best scone—well, just simply perfect.
I told him flatly, and I tasted some delicious scones and some awful ones that failed the visual and taste test by a whole mile.
The six English Scones I baked during high school when I was 13 were the scones that failed miserably.
As my Domestic Science teacher said flatly, it was “A Rock Cake.”
She held it up. This raisin-dotted monstrosity disk looked like giant bugs shivered and died in a hard crust pool.
She tapped it hard on the kitchen counter.
It crumbled.
I whined.
The worst thing I ever did was sneak in raisins, use my hot, sweaty hands, and no baking powder.
I was 13.
It was a hybrid of a rock cake and a muffin. I wouldn’t want anyone to break their gnashers on one of these.
If you’re a Pastry chef reading this, the worst you could do (in my books) is to put raisins, cranberries, and other fruit into the scones!
If you can’t get the scones right, add anything else, including dusting the tops with icing sugar.
Is this a KISS?
KISS is an acronym for “Keep it simple, stupid.”
What is a scone?
An English scone’s simple ingredients are wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent and baked on sheet pans.
The scone is an essential component of cream tea or Devonshire tea. And it differs from pastries, teacakes, and other types of sweets made with yeast.
English scones are less buttery and less sweet than American scones, although both go by the same name.
How do you make a legendary, delicious, luscious scone?
I often like simple recipes made with excellent quality ingredients.
Freshly baked scones are one of life’s little pleasures.
English Scones (British?) is the ultimate comfort food snack.
A good scone has a burnished golden top and a good even color, beautiful and golden brown all over and on the bottom.
I was looking for scones made right.
The perfect scone is airy on the inside, golden on the outside, and sufficiently high—it’s all of its own science.
A good scone is not tall like a muffin.
It has lovely layers from rubbing in the butter.
That crack line splits the scone as you twist it open into two halves of “biscuits,” which are incredibly “fluffy” and delicious.
I can’t wait to spread good salted butter and “strobes” (Strawberry conserve with a thick, jammy consistency—it’s never store-bought jam, okay?) on my scones and wolf these down.
Pepe, no need for clotted cream or whipped cream.
Pepe: But I must.
No body contact, please!
Nobody must be in contact with the mix to make the perfect English Scones.
Remember, the butter has to be icy cold!
Pepe Sounds almost virtuous!
Where Can I Find the Best Scones in Penang?
English Scones
Incredibly Fluffy and Delicious Scone Recipe
- 2 cups All-purpose flour ((10 ounces by weight))
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter ((icy cold butter))
- 2/3 cup Buttermilk
- One large Egg
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar a couple of times to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse 7-10 times until the butter is completely distributed. You shouldn’t see any chunks of butter, and the mixture should have a sandy texture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine the milk and egg. Save 2 tbsp for the egg wash later, and pour the rest into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Stir to combine with a spatula until a rough dough forms.
- Transfer to a lightly floured countertop and knead about ten times until the dough becomes a relatively smooth ball. Don’t knead too much; the dough will be more challenging and not rise as high.
- Roll the dough about an inch thick and use a 2.5″ cutter to cut about seven circles. Re-roll the scraps and cut out another 2.
- Place the scones onto a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the reserved egg wash.
- Bake the scones for 13-15 minutes, until about tripled in height and golden brown on the tops and bottoms. Enjoy!
A dream to bite into.
Whether you call it at home, little can top a perfect scone fresh hot out of the oven.
With its burnished golden top and light and fluffy interior.
This ultimate comfort food snack needs a dollop of cream and a smear of jam, and then we’re ready to go.
As far as home baking goes, perfecting the scone is a mystery.
Keeping moisture on the inside while achieving that coveted golden edge – and enough height; is a science all of its own.
You can hide imperfections with butter icing or use chocolate ganache to enhance them.
It’s all in the way you handle the humble ingredients.
A Scone is unforgiving; there is no margin for error.
Cold hands 3cm egg wash
The inside is soft and fluffy, but not like a sponge cake. It should be creamy and crumbly yet moist as you twist it to break it.
So began the long search for the elusive scones, which took over three months.
As I edit this post, five long months have passed me by.
I ate and sulked.
I put feelers out on social media. Friends ate and made recommendations.
One even arranged for his hotel’s pastry chef to make me come over Chinese New Year.
Thank you. I am touched as many friends continue to pamper and amuse me.
One friend took me to arguably the best. Alas, we waited for the café to open and for the owner to fire up the oven.
No spoilers. Just read on.
Penang’s Beautiful Mansion
Macalister Mansion
We rank Macalister Mansion as one of the best for a luxurious tea experience.
The Atas venue is an incredible experience with well-prepared scrumptious treats.
If you enjoy dining in a manor with a gorgeous interior, drop by for delicious bites of fluffy croissants, tomato buns, strawberry tarts, scones, and cakes.
Enjoy a good cuppa of TWG Tea and a little tête-à-tête with a giggle or two.
I had coffee as usual.
No Tai Tai was in the house when I had tea with my companion.
He said the most extraordinary things, and we exchanged the best stories and gossip.
These had raisins and icing sugar served with unsalted butter and strawberry.
As for the scones, there is no clotted cream.
Macalister Mansion
Address: 228 Jalan Macalister, George Town, 11400 George Town, Penang
Opening Hours
8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Suffolk House
Ordinarily, afternoon tea at the Suffolk House may not be right at the top of your head.
But if dining in a historical building built by Sir Francis Light himself is your cup of tea, then be prepared to linger and take some photos.
The ambiance is delightful, and the scones are well dotted with raisins and served with butter, clotted cream, and four types of fruit conserve.
Credit: John Teoh
SUFFOLK HOUSE
Address: 250, Jalan Air Itam, George Town, 10460 George Town, Penang
Tea for Two
Price: RM90 nett
Availability: Daily
Hours: 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Farquhar Mansion
Posh, snotty, and pricy, Farquhar Mansion’s afternoon tea is all about dining lavishly with sumptuous bites and a quality selection of teas.
No, I haven’t been here.
FARQUHAR MANSION
Address: 33, Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, 10200 George Town, Penang
High Tea
Hours: 03:00 PM – 05:00 PM (Tuesday to Sunday)
Penang’s Hotel
1885 at E&O Hotel
I like the swankiest option in George Town, and 1885 at E&O Hotel had the finest traditions of colonial-style dining.
I am somewhat fancy enjoying tea with starched linens and impeccable service.
There are two types of scones: classic English raisin and plain scones served with clotted cream, and two types of fruit conserve.
The scones are dense and crumbly, making a heavenly mouthful.
Credit: ckeat
1885
Address: 10, Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, Penang
English Afternoon Tea
Price: RM67.95 net per person
Availability: Daily
Hours: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
2 PM Lounge
Pamper yourself with delightful tea time, featuring a three-tiered silver stand of finger sandwiches, homemade scones, sweets, petite treats, and a pot of your chosen tea.
Credit: Doris Lim
2 PM LOUNGE
Address: G Hotel Kelawai, 2, Persiaran Maktab, 10250 George Town, Penang
Afternoon Tea
Price: RM 50 (Serves Two)
Availability: Daily
Hours: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
In George Town
Auction Rooms Café
Suppose you like a Refillable Afternoon Tea blend of Western and Malaysian delights.
In that case, Auction Rooms Café offers a set with savories such as open-face smoked duck, nasi lemak sandwiches, and mini scones in a vintage, birdcage-like tray.
There are raisins scones.
Credit: Auction Room FB Page
AUCTION ROOMS CAFÉ
Address: 38a, Jalan Sungai Ujong, 10100 George Town, Penang
Refillable Afternoon Tea
Price: RM 76 (Serves Two)
Availability: Daily
Hours: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Up Penang Hill
David Brown High Tea, Strawberry Hill
Tuck in exquisite teas and fine food as you enjoy a breathtaking view at David Brown’s Restaurant & Tea Terraces, about 833 m (2723 ft.) above sea level.
Enjoy the funicular train ride to the top for the best view of George Town.
The plain English scones come in two servings: butter, clotted cream, and strawberry.
The conserve has been described as the best scones money can buy, but it is pricey and has slow service.
Credit: David Brown Restaurant FB Page
DAVID BROWN’S RESTAURANT & TEA TERRACE
Address: Strawberry Hill, Penang Hill, 11300 Air Itam, Penang
David Brown’s Petit Four
Price: RM 108++ (Serves Two)
Availability: Daily
Hours: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Devonshire Cream Tea
Price: RM 28++ (Serves One)
Availability: Daily
Hours: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Shopping Mall
Winter Warmer Coffee & Tea House
Winter Warmer built its reputation around a vintage theme, English teas, classic Victorian furniture, and rose-themed teacups and plates in identical outlets.
They scented the raisin scones with rose petals and served them with butter, whipped cream, and a fun-size jar of rose jam.
Try their candied ginger or rose milk tea to sip something more fanciful.
Credit: Winter Warmers FB Page
WINTER WARMER COFFEE & TEA HOUSE
Address: Gurney Plaza, 170-G-38, Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang
Afternoon Tea Set
Price: RM75 net per set
Availability: Daily
Annabelle’s Place
Annabelle’s Place is a British restaurant, and it is by far the best place for scones.
The owner is a chef and baker and makes her food with love.
I went one afternoon (too early) and waited while she made everything from scratch.
If there’s one thing I didn’t like about raisins in scones, it’s that I love them so much that I ordered three sets to share with a friend.
Credit: Doris Lim
ANNABELLE’S PLACE
Address: 10, Lebuh Lembah Permai 4, Tanjung Tokong, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang
Tea Service
Hours: Begins at 3 PM until 6 PM
Closed on Sunday
Tel: 04-890 1098
Le Petit Four Patisserie
When I thought all the excellent pastry chefs had left little Penang, I found Le Petit Four Patisserie, which someone tagged me on Facebook 18 weeks ago!
So sorry; my traveling schedule has taken me around the region.
The best joke is that Patisserie has the same off day as me.
I finally made the trip to taste the scones from this little French Bakery.
There is no discernible difference in the taste to the height of the scones.
These are the best and highest-quality scones I’ve seen visually, so I chose the “tall boy” scone for tasting.
The scones are baked fresh daily.
I was there just after lunch, so they heated it for me.
It twists into two unequal halves. The texture is biscuity on the edges and crumbly inside. It is dotted with cranberries, which I rather like.
I was surprised myself.
Most make it with raisins, which I don’t fancy as it is too sweet.
It was served with unsalted butter <why?> and strawberry jam, which looked too red and bright.
Credit: Doris Lim
LE PETIT FOUR PATISSERIE
Address: 310, Lebuh Pantai, 10300 George Town, Penang
Business Hours
Open: 9 AM until 6 PM
Closed: Wednesdays and Thursdays
What I eat with Scones…
The best scones are made with an artisan touch, are homemade, quick, and simple, and do not require much fanfare.
When made correctly, Scones will stay moist for about two days and freeze well if there are any leftovers.
Most importantly, good scones can be toasted without toughening up like a child throwing a tantrum.
I prefer to twist the scones into halves, and splitting them with a fork down the center preserves the lovely texture.
I usually want to get as much surface area as possible to absorb soft butter and jam.
I think it’s just me.
Above all else, I need salted butter.
Most hotels and cafes will hand out unsalted butter that is too cold to spread.
So I drum my fingers, smiling but getting annoyed as my scones cool down to wait for the butter to soften.
Above all else, yes. If you’re serving scones, you need clotted cream.
Period.
Clotted Cream?
Devonshire or Clotted cream, produced in Devon County, England, has a minimum of 55% butterfat, making it more decadent than whipped cream.
So how do you handle butter, jam, clotted cream, and yes, that scone?
Interestingly, in Devon, clotted cream is traditionally spread on a scone and then topped with jam.
As for me, whatever works best < softened butter, please>, clotted cream, and jam is just about right.
So, where would you want to go for the best scones in Penang?
The Best Scones in Penang
Finally, after a five-month hiatus, I juggle travel and ticking off lists. I’ve come to a simple conclusion.
The best scones are homemade and served with the best Strawberry conserve (not store-bought jam!)
The cover photo is a 10-minute scone that my friend John made when I popped over for tea in the afternoon.
He makes the best scones.
They are light and moist, like a cross between a cake and a well-made muffin.
As John said, scones are easy to mix and bake in a hot oven quickly.
Credit: Doris Lim
We use the best times to chat over tea, and preferably, we don’t complain more about scones but quietly enjoy our afternoons.
The best scone is fresh, made quickly, and eaten leisurely with good friends.
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. The writer and friends paid for their meal.
