Top News

A foodie has demonstrated how to make what she described as "the best snack in the world", which takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. Lily May, who posts on TikTok as lilyangelmay, where she has more than 10,000 followers, showed off her simple method for making a single scone, perfect for an afternoon bite.

Writing in the video description, Lily said: "Why is this the best snack in the world? Mine came out just a little wonky but it tasted so SO delicious." The video shows Lily preparing the scone, before placing it in a ceramic bowl previously used for Camembert cheese and baking it in the oven.

It then cuts to her taking it out of the oven, placing the scone on a plate and cutting it in half horizontally, before spreading clotted cream and jam on each side and tucking in. A caption on the video said: "Ok the English have a lot to answer for but we kinda ate with these..."

The video prompted heated debate around a number of issues, not least what the snack should be called. One said: "A biscuit. We hype over biscuits?" Replying, another said: "No, a scone is different from a USA biscuit."

The food known as biscuits in America is effectively a savoury scone, made without sugar. Another user wrote: "As a southerner who lived in England for five years: this is not a biscuit and if you think so, you've never had a scone."

Another said: "For those that say it's just a biscuit... I'm so sorry. You haven't experienced the true joy of eating a British hot scone with clotted cream and jam."

Another said: "I've had both scones in the UK and biscuits in the US and they aren't the same. They aren't far away, but scones are obviously sweeter and you don't put fruit in biscuits."

Others debated whether cream or jam should go on the scone first. One said: "Cream first is a CRIME." Another said: "Cream is a topping! Jam is a spread!"

Someone else said: "You know, I have always put cream first and then jam because it just made sense, but you've just made me realise that it doesn't make as much sense as I thought." Another said. "Doesn't matter... but also definitely cream first."

Others pointed out that, despite Lily's caption, scones actually originate in Scotland. It is believed they were first created in the 16th century, before gaining wider popularity around two centuries later.

Another user simply wrote: "I have never considered that I can just bake myself one scone. Thank you for this."

• 10g butter
• 45g self-raising flour
• 25ml milk
• 1tbsp sugar
• milk or egg wash
• clotted cream and jam for serving

• Add the butter and flour to a bowl
• Pinch the mixture with your hands to form clumps
• Add milk and sugar
• Lightly flour a surface and form into a scone shape
• Brush with milk or egg wash
• Bake at 200 degrees for 10-15 minutes
• Top with clotted cream and jam (or jam then clotted cream) and enjoy