Masala Chai Spiced Scones

Name: Masala Chai Spiced Scones
Prep time: 37 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 0.85 cup (200 ml) heavy cream, cold; 2 bags (4 g) strong black tea bags (such as Assam); 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed; 2½ tsp (10 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon; 1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cardamom; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground cloves; ¼ tsp (½ g) freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 1 large (50 g) large egg, cold; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tbsp (15 ml) heavy cream, for brushing; 2 tbsp (25 g) turbinado or coarse sugar; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon, mixed into the turbinado sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, flaky wedge scones flavored with cream steeped in strong black tea and warmed with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove and a whisper of black pepper, then finished with a crunchy spiced sugar top.

Prep: 37 min
Cook: 23 min
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 10 min
Makes: 8 wedge scones

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Ingredients

8 servings

For the chai cream
¾ cup (200 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 bags (4 g) strong black tea bags (such as Assam)
For the dough
2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
2½ tsp (10 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (2 g) ground ginger
1 tsp (2 g) ground cardamom
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cloves
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
1 large (50 g) large egg, cold
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the topping
1 tbsp (15 ml) heavy cream, for brushing
2 tbsp (25 g) turbinado or coarse sugar
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon, mixed into the turbinado sugar

Equipment (9)

Small saucepan
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Box grater or sharp knife and cutting board
Pastry cutter, or two forks (optional)
Large rimmed baking sheet (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm) lined with parchment paper
Sharp knife or bench scraper
Pastry brush
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the tea cream needs about 40 minutes to steep and chill, so start there.
Keep the butter in the fridge until you're ready to cube it. Cold butter is what makes scones flaky.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, or better, weigh it. Packed flour makes dry scones.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1
Steep the tea cream
- Pour the 200 ml (0.85 cup) cold heavy cream into a small saucepan and add the 2 tea bags.
- Set over medium-low heat and warm, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around the edge and steam rises, about 3 minutes.
- Do not let it boil.
- Remove from the heat, cover, and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cream is steaming with small bubbles at the edge, and has turned a pale tan color after steeping.
Tip: Boiling can make the cream skin over or separate. Keep the heat gentle.
2
Chill cream and butter
- Squeeze the tea bags firmly against the side of the pan to release all the cream, then discard them.
- Pour the cream into a liquid measuring cup.
- You need 180 ml (¾ cup).
- If you're short, top up with a splash of cold cream or milk.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until fully cold.
- While it chills, cut the cold butter into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes and return them to the fridge or freezer.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cream is fridge-cold to the touch.
Tip: Warm cream will melt the butter and give you dense, greasy scones, so don't skip the chilling.
3
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and black pepper for about 30 seconds.
- Press out any lumps of brown sugar with your fingertips.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture is an even, uniform tan color with no streaks of spice or sugar lumps.
4
Cut in the butter
- Add the cold butter cubes to the dry mixture.
- Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized and some almond-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Coarse crumbs with visible pea-sized butter pieces; no loose dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: If the butter starts to feel soft or greasy, pop the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes.
5
Add the wet ingredients
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the chilled chai cream with the egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the liquid.
- Stir with a fork or spatula about 15 strokes, just until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass with a few dry patches.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough is shaggy and sticks together when pressed; a few floury spots are fine.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes scones tough. Stop while the dough still looks a little rough.
6
Shape and cut wedges
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead gently 3 or 4 times, just until it holds together.
- Pat into an 8-inch (20 cm) round about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- Cut into 8 equal wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper, pressing straight down rather than sawing.
- Transfer the wedges to the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Dough is a smooth-ish round about 1 inch thick, with streaks of butter still visible.
Tip: Don't twist the knife when cutting. Twisting seals the edges and stops the scones from rising tall.
7
Chill and preheatOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer, or the fridge if there's no room, for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Wedges feel firm to the touch and the oven has reached 400°F (200°C).
8
Brush and sprinkle
- Stir the turbinado sugar with ½ tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Brush the tops of the chilled wedges lightly with the 1 tbsp (15 ml) cream, avoiding the cut sides so they can rise freely.
- Sprinkle the spiced sugar generously over the tops.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Tops are evenly glossy and covered in sugar crystals.
Tip: Cream dripping down the sides can glue the scone to the parchment and stunt its rise.
9
Bake the sconesOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake in the 400°F (200°C) oven for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes, until the scones are risen, deep golden brown on top and bottom, and the centers feel firm when pressed.
- A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, and the internal temperature should read about 200°F (93°C).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Deep golden brown, firm in the center, toothpick comes out clean, about 200°F (93°C) inside.
Tip: Brown sugar and spices darken quickly. If the tops are browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
10
Cool before serving
- Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Cool at least 10 more minutes before serving so the crumb sets.
- Serve warm with butter, honey, or clotted cream.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Scones are warm, not hot, and hold together when split open.

Good to know

Tips

Freshly ground cardamom has a much brighter flavor than pre-ground. Crush the seeds from 8 to 10 green pods if you have them.
Use a very strong black tea like Assam or Ceylon so its flavor stays clear against the spices.
Handle the dough as little as possible and keep everything cold for tall, flaky scones.
For a glaze instead of sugar topping, whisk 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tbsp chai-steeped milk and drizzle over cooled scones.

Make ahead

"Shape and cut the wedges, then freeze them on the baking sheet until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F (200°C), adding 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time. Brush with cream and sprinkle with the spiced sugar just before baking. The tea cream can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: airtight container up to 2 days. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: baked scones, wrapped well, up to 2 months. Reheat room-temperature or thawed scones on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes until warmed through and the crust is crisp again."

Substitutions

heavy cream → Full-fat buttermilk or whole milk, steeped the same way. Scones will be slightly less rich but still tender. Warm the milk gently and chill as directed.
light brown sugar → Dark brown sugar or coconut sugar, same weight. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor.
unsalted butter → Cold vegan butter sticks. Use a firm block-style product, not tub spread, for the flakiest result.
strong black tea bags (such as Assam) → 2 tbsp loose-leaf black tea, strained out. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the leaves, and make sure to reach 180 ml of cream.