Dirty Chai Latte Scones

Random fact about me; I love a good Chai Latte – like I reallly LOVE a good Chai Latte.

And you know what else I love? Coffee – well Espresso to be a little more precise. I am a caffeine addict. There, I said it. The jig is up. I’m a caffeine and chai addict. And when those two beautiful addictions come together… well then you have my drink of choice; Dirty Chai Lattes – AKA Chai Lattes spiked with espresso. I mean honestly need I say more?

I just love the warm spicy, creamy taste of a Chai Latte – especially around this time of year.

So naturally, I had to turn my favourite latte into a baked good because, well let’s be real this is me we’re talking about…

But also, you can’t have a latte without also having a baked good to go along with it… amiright? Lattes and fresh baking go hand in hand. It’s a fact. Don’t try to convince me otherwise.

And so with that logic in mind… I give you Dirt Chai Latte Scones – and trust me, if you’re a Chai fan like myself, you need these in your life. Key word “need”. Absolute necessity. This is what self love looks like.

So do me a favour; Practice some serious self love by making these happen for yourself. You deserve it. Always.

Happy baking lovelies

KP xoxo

Dirty Chai Latte Scones

Things you need…

Scones
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cloves
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brewed espresso
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Chai Glaze
1 1/ 4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp strongly brewed chai tea

How to make…

Scones

Preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, espresso, egg & vanilla. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and spices until evenly combined.

Add in your cubes of cold butter and lightly toss to coat each of the butter cubes with the flour mixture. Begin working the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers or with a pastry cutter until most of the butter chunks are the size of peas, with a few larger almond sized chunks.

Drizzle the buttermilk / espresso mixture over the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently fold the wet into the dry ingredients until a ragged dough forms.

Turn the ragged dough out onto a cool lightly flour work surface to fold the dough. Gently fold the right half of the dough over onto the left half; repeat this process 3-4 times to create those flaky scone layers!

Gently pat the dough into a rough rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Now divide your rectangle into 2 parts lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut each half into 6 equal parts, so you end up with 12 scones in total.

Place the 12 scones onto your prepared baking sheets – 6 per sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place one tray at a time into the center rack of your oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the tops spring back to your touch. Set the tray on a cooling rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Chai Glaze
While your scones cool for a bit, prepare your glaze.

In a medium bowl, whisk together icing sugar, maple syrup and chai tea until smooth and creamy. If your glaze is a bit thin, simply add more icing sugar 1 tbsp at a time until your desired consistency is acheived.