Delicate Masala Chai Inspired Scones
What to Expect
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour
Delicate scones inspired by the warm flavors of Indian masala chai.
A Bit of History
When I first thought about the idea of chai scones and began working on this recipe, I thought I knew what chai tea was. I’ll admit now that I was completely unaware. The chai I knew was strictly American and paid little homage to its Indian heritage. I’m hoping the following information will broaden your horizons as it did mine.
When you begin to open your eyes to the history of what you’re consuming, you will begin to see the foods around you in an entirely new way and understand how much America has capitalized on the traditional foods and drinks of marginalized cultures.
I encourage you to read this article written by Priya Krishna for Food & Wine. It explores the history of masala chai in ways I will never be able to articulate. When learning about the foods of other cultures I cannot stress enough the importance of looking to those who have a genuine authority to speak on the subject.
I want you to learn about the history of chai masala through Krishna’s article, but will drop this simple tidbit to whet your appetite: “chai tea” is a redundant name. In Hindi “chai” translates to tea, meaning you’re actually saying “tea tea” when you order your drink at the coffee shop counter – as Krishna points out. The more appropriate and accurate name is actually masala chai. Which is why these scones are affectionately known in our has as Masala Chai Scones.
Making Chai Scones
When making scones (such as these chai scones), cold butter is a requirement. Using cold butter provides lift while also giving the chai scones their signature texture. Because it is so warm where I live, I often times choose to grate a frozen stick of butter in order to slow its approach to room temperature as opposed to cutting in cold butter with a mixer.
The spices I’ve chosen to incorporate into these chai scones are inspired by those often used in masala chai. When using the star anise, I found that I got the best flavor when chopping it to the desired size or using a mortar and pestle. If you would like to avoid spending a few minutes chopping the star anise (which is understandable though discouraged) you can use a spice grinder or high speed blender to reduce it to a powder. But I will warn that the flavor just isn’t the same as spending those few extra minutes.
You’ll want to reserve a bit your honey, milk, and egg mixture to brush on the tops of your chai scones before popping them in the oven. If you’re like me and forget to do this more often than you remember, don’t fret! Your chai scones will still be just as tasty, the crust will just lack a little crunch.
Be careful not to over-mix your chai scone dough. Gently mix together the wet and dry ingredients by folding together until just mixed. Over-mixing the dough results in tough scones that lack the desired delicate texture.
If you make a batch of these delicious chai scones, be sure to let me know your thoughts! And be sure to tag me at @ficklebeabakehouse on Instagram so that I can see your amazing creations.
New to baking or nervous about spending more time in the kitchen? Check out My Kitchen Commandments for some helpful tips!
PrintMasala Chai Inspired Chai Scones
Delicate scones inspired by the warm flavors of Indian masala chai.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American, Indian
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
- 2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 1 bag Dried Black Tea
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Freshly Grated Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 3/4 tsp. Star Anise (roughly 2 stars, finely chopped)
- 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 Egg (whisked)
- 8 Tbsp. Frozen Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, tea, spices) until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and honey before adding the whisked egg. Mix to combine. Set aside 1 T to brush onto tops of dough before going into the oven.
- Working quickly, grate frozen butter with a fine cheese grater directly into the dry ingredients.
- Using your hands and working quickly, combine butter and dry ingredients with a pinching motion until you have a crumbly mixture. Pinch apart any large pieces of butter, making sure they are coated with the dry mixture.
- Pour the the milk, egg, and honey mixture over the dry ingredients, add the white chocolate chips to the bowl and begin gently folding together with a spatula, being careful not to over-mix. You will have a very dry mixture once adequately combined and there are no wet pockets.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead with your hands until a solid mass just begins to form, again being very careful not to over-knead.
- Divide the dough into two portions with a sharp kitchen knife, mold each into a disk about 7-8 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch thick. Prioritize thickness over diameter.
- Cut each disk into 8 triangles of equal size and gently transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange the triangles in two circles with about 1/2 inch of spacing between each triangle. Brush the top of each triangle with a thin layer of the egg mixture you set aside earlier.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until egg wash is golden brown but not burnt, rotating the tray half way through the baking duration to ensure an even bake.
- Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying!
Notes
The key to this recipes (and any scones recipe) is cold butter, a quick pace, and not overworking the dough. The cold butter and quick pace go hand in hand as cold butter provides lift in the oven. Resisting the temptation to overwork the dough ensures you will have delicate scones.
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