Scones are among the pastry family’s most frequently abused members. The average scone is a dense, dry, powdery affair, with only a few sad little currents to relieve the monotony—unless, of course, you slather it, English style with clotted cream and Strawberry Preserves, which should make anything taste good. Scone is a Scottish word derived from the Middle English schoonbrood, meaning schoon (pure, clean) and brood ( bread).