Chai Spice Scones

Apologies for these extended hiatuses I keep taking in between posts, you all. Lately, I have been stretched in a lot of different directions, life is moving at a breakneck pace and sometimes I struggle to fit in the blog with the other things on the To Do List. Lately, even fitting in the time to cook is more of a production to choreograph and fit into the schedule than it’s ever been before for me.

I’ve had to be very strategic in not just timing when I cook, but what I cook, factoring in how much time whatever dish I make keeps me in the kitchen before getting back to the work that actually pays me. Lately, I’ve been choosing to cook/eat things that don’t take up much time, like brinner.

Brinner (or breakfast food, eaten for dinner) is one of my favorite options because of how I can meal prep for it beforehand. What’ll usually happen is that I make a big batch of biscuits or scones, then wrap them up to keep in the fridge, along with a batch of bacon and/or sausage I make at the same time. That way, when it comes time for me to eat throughout the, all I really have to make the day-of is some eggs to go along with it to round out the meal.

That’s pretty much how these babies came about. Besides that, it had been a while since I made some scones and I wanted to get back into that bag in a way I hadn’t tried before. If you’ve seen my method for making scones (and biscuits) up until this point, you’ll see there isn’t a whole lot of deviation for these, just a change in flavors.

These are simple to put together, and the flavors really are the star that make them a step above the average scone. Using heavy cream and letting the dough rest overnight is my tip for making them extra tender and ‘cakey’ on the inside. And as I can personally vouch for, they keep very well wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for days on end. Whenever you’re ready to eat one, simply slice half and toast for a few minutes; they’ll get a delicious crust on the outside, but stay soft and tender on the inside. Smear with butter and jam.

You’re welcome.

Chai Spice Scones

Recipe Adapted from Tea Time Magazine

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
8 tablespoons salted butter, frozen
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt.

Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the butter directly into the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the center. Pour in the heavy cream. Use a large fork and a large rubber spatula to stir the mixture together. If it seems a little dry you may add additional heavy cream until it forms a shaggy dough.

Sprinkle a pastry mat, wooden cutting board or wax paper with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and pat a few times with your hands until it loosely holds together. (Don’t knead it too much or the warmth in your palms will melt the butter and cause the scones to be tough.)

Pat and roll the dough into a rectangle. Take the two opposite ends and fold them together like a business letter into thirds. Flip it upside down & roll it into another rectangle, sprinkling the surface with flour if it gets too sticky. Repeat the folding process two to three more times before patting it into one final rectangle.

Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit

Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and unwrap the scone dough out onto it. Use a bench scraper or very sharp knife to trim the edges of the rectangle. Cut the remaining dough into squares, about 2″ each.

Remove the cut scones to a baking sheet you’ve lined with parchment paper, rather close to each other (it will help them rise higher). Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar. Place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Bake until scones are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.