I have a long-standing and intense love of all things tea. From the drink itself, to tea-flavored baked goods and chocolate, to the tea parties of childhood, one of my absolute favorites is British afternoon tea.
While I can’t afford (either monetarily or calorie-wise) to have high tea on a regular basis, I console myself with the occasional scone. Homemade scones are nowhere near as hard to make as a lot of people think, and the result is 10 times better than your average sub-par coffee shop or super market scone.
My personal favorites are chocolate chip scones (my love of chocolate chips has already been documented here) and for this recipe, I’ve added some seasonal spices to the mix to create the ultimate festive treat. I highly recommend eating the scones fresh out of the oven with a warm cup of Earl Grey tea, but they’re also great for a grab ’n go breakfast or afternoon snack.
Spiced Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F (220 C).
Put the flour, baking powder, 3 tablespoons of sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves in a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.
Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture.
#SpoonTip: Make sure the butter stays cold, it gives the scones the flaky texture.
Use your fingers to quickly cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is course.
Add the chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and quickly stir to distribute.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream with a fork and mix until a dough begins to form.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface.
Quickly knead the dough until it forms a ball.
Flatten the ball of dough into a small disk, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
Cut the disk into 8 wedges.
Place the wedges on a baking tray.
Brush the reserved heavy cream on the tops of the wedges and sprinkle with the last tablespoon of sugar.
#SpoonTip: For this part, use coarse, granulated sugar for the best effect.
Put the tray in the oven on a middle rack and let cook for 12-15 minutes, turning the tray at the half-way point.
When the scones are done (they should be golden brown at the edges), take them out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes, and then dig in.