Old man mumble

　A scone is a traditional British baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat 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.
　Scones are made by combining wheat flour, barley flour, or oatmeal with baking powder, then lightly kneading it together with milk before shaping and baking. They are often baked with butter cut into the flour or mixed with dried fruits like raisins or dates.
　In the mid-19th century, with the spread of baking powder and ovens, scones evolved into their current form. They are now enjoyed not only in their place of origin, Scotland, but also throughout the United Kingdom. Additionally, they are commonly consumed in Anglo-American regions across the Atlantic.

　Scones often appear in US coffee houses. The American version is sweet, heavy, dry and crumbly, similar to British rock cakes. They are usually triangular, and often contain fruit such as blueberries or sultanas, or such flavorings as pumpkin, cinnamon or chocolate chips. They may also be topped with icing. They are often eaten as they are (not topped with butter, jam or cream), along with coffee or tea.　

　The photo below shows an American-style scone. In North America, when we say "scone," it typically refers to scones with fillings. North American scones often include dried fruits like raisins, blueberries, and cranberries, as well as nuts, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks (small pieces of chocolate). They are also characterized by having more sugar in the dough compared to British scones. Some people even drizzle a sugar glaze on top of the baked scones. Additionally, savory scones with ingredients like cheese, onions, and bacon are enjoyed as a snack.

　A biscuit, in most English speaking countries, is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be savoury, similar to crackers. Types of biscuit include sandwich biscuits, digestive biscuits, ginger biscuits, shortbread biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate-coated marshmallow treats, Anzac biscuits, biscotti, and speculaas.
　In most of North America, nearly all hard sweet biscuits are called "cookies", while the term "biscuit" is used for a soft, leavened quick bread similar to a less sweet version of a scone.


　In the United States and some parts of Canada, a "biscuit" is a quick bread, somewhat similar to an unsweetened scone, but with a texture more 'fluffy and flaky' vs. 'sturdy and crumbly'. Biscuits may be referred to as either "baking powder biscuits" or "buttermilk biscuits" if buttermilk is used rather than milk as a liquid, as buttermilk is not only flavorful but acidic (allowing use of baking soda vs. baking powder which is a mixture of baking soda with an acidifier and buffer). A Southern regional variation using the term "beaten biscuit" (or in New England "sea biscuit") is closer to hardtack than soft dough biscuits.