Sometimes I wonder why I don’t spend more time making scones. I love them flaky and sweet & I love them on the more biscuity side with just a hint of sweetness (like these Earl Grey & Honey Blueberry Scones!). Either way, I firmly believe that you just can’t go wrong with a scone. Especially my all time favorite: Cinnamon Chip Scones.
I feel like I’ve been on a major cinnamon kick ever since spring hit (i.e. these Cinnamon Roll Doughnuts from last week). Despite the warming flavor profile of the spice, I always associate Cinnamon Chip Scones with springtime and Easter. Most years, we go by my aunt and uncle for brunch. Usually, I demand that my one aunt bring scones whether they were meant to be on the menu or not (I also always tell people I’m bringing a dessert along because everyone knows I can’t contribute real food beyond maybe some quickly boiled green beans).
Usually, this results in me eating too many scones–blueberry & cinnamon chip–before we even sit down to eat. But mostly, I keep tossing them in a Ziploc bag, hoping no one sees me, until I have a good week’s worth of scones accompanying me on the car ride home.
I am much lazier than my aunt though, and while she has made her own cinnamon chips in the past, I luckily managed to find a bag at the grocery store. And now, cinnamon chips will happily make themselves in many more baked goods because I just cannot get enough of them! I also am going to be having Cinnamon Chip Scones more than just once a year because I already want to go ahead and make batch after batch so that I can happily nibble on these for weeks to come.
These scones are crumbly and buttery which is why it’s important that there isn’t much handling them. It’s important to keep the butter cold so that it doesn’t melt before you get these scones in the oven. The butter then melts while baking which helps give these the desired, super flaky texture one expects from a scone. Handling them lightly helps to keep them from getting tough as well, which is why I like to use a rubber spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry–it keeps the warmth of your hands out of the bowl and helps to bring together a shaggy dough that you just need to quickly squeeze together at the end. From there, you just flatten, slice, and freeze before giving the scones a quick egg wash, sprinkle of raw sugar, and pop them in the oven.
I will warn you: these scones come out massive. But really, would you want your scone any other way?! You never have to feel guilty because you can honestly always tell yourself that you only had one ;). I’m always a big fan of yum that lasts beyond three bites!
Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
Servings |
scones
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- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup cinnamon chips
- 200 mL milk (between 3/4 and 1 cup)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water for egg wash
- raw sugar for sprinkling on top
Ingredients
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- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.
- Add the cold and cubed butter to the bowl, and using either your finger tips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients or a pastry cutter, rub in the butter until you have small, pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Toss in the cinnamon chips and stir until they are distributed throughout the mix.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg yolk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, fold until the dough begins to come together. Use your hands to roll the dough into a ball.
- Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and flatten or roll it out into a circle about 1" high and 5" across. Cut into 8 triangles and place on the lined baking sheet; place the baking sheet in the freezer to allow the dough to chill for 10 minutes.
- Whisk up one egg with 1 tsp of water. Remove the scones from the freezer and brush the tops and sides with the egg wash, then sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and the tops are firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.