Crumpets and scones. The first thing I think of is the British.
There’s an air of regal-ness when you mention tea, scones, or clotted cream. Afternoon tea is one of my favourite times to relax and chat with some girl friends.
It’s not too often that I do have the chance to go out for afternoon tea, but when I do, it’s a time that I treasure.
But besides tea and sandwiches, there’s usually there’s an offering of scones amongst the tiers.
As a kid, I remember eating the dry, bland scones with raisins that came from the supermarket. They were marked with the taste of baking soda, and admittedly, I never really cared much for them.
That all changed when we traveled to London.
We were served delicious, crumbly scones with clotted cream (or devon cream, which is quite hard to find outside of England). And then I realized that good scones didn’t have that dry chalky taste that I had come to despise.
WHAT ARE SCONES?
Scones originated from Scotland and are a baked quickbread leavened with baking powder (not yeast).
Scones are made with a few key ingredients: wheat flour, butter, cream and is usually lightly sweetened.
There are savoury versions as well.
Originally, scones were round and flat, but various shapes such as square and triangular are popular now.
INGREDIENTS IN MATCHA ALMOND SCONES
I love the recipe since it uses both butter and heavy cream in it. It’s great when you have heavy cream leftover and you don’t know what to do with it.
You’ll need the following ingredients to make Matcha Almond Scones:
- all-purpose flour: works best in this recipe
- baking powder: is the main leavening ingredient which provides lift and rise for the scones
- granulated sugar: adds sweetness
- salted butter: I like using salted butter because it adds additional flavour. You can use unsalted butter, but be sure to add a pinch of salt to the recipe.
- heavy cream: adds richness to the scones
- matcha powder: use a high-quality matcha powder which will retain its green colour after baking
- flaked almonds: for garnishing and crunch
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BERGAMOT GLAZE
- whole milk
- icing sugar (or powdered sugar)
- bergamot oil extract: use a culinary grade oil, not essential oil.
HOW TO MAKE MATCHA ALMOND SCONES
Making these Matcha Almond Scones in a food processor not only is easy, but keeps these crumbly and light.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to mix.
Drizzle in the heavy cream while pulsing intermittently, just until a dough starts to form. (Don’t over mix or you’ll create a tough dough).
Dump the mixture onto a large piece of parchment paper and form the dough into a square.
Cut into triangles and wrap it parchment paper.
Place into the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up.
Bake at 400F for about 15-17 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Combine the bergamot glaze ingredients in a bowl and drizzle over the cooled scones.
Tender, crumbly (in your mouth), and not dry, these earthy Matcha Almond Scones are topped with a uplifting sweet bergamot glaze.
So bring out your best teacups, your favourite tea, and make these absolutely delicious Matcha Almond Scones and enjoy your own afternoon tea at home. I promise you won’t be able to eat just 1!
OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE
Be sure to check out these other recipes:
Let me know if you try out this recipe — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below.
Matcha Almond Scones with Bergamot Glaze
Ingredients
Scones
- 1 C all-purpose flour
- ½ Tbsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar plus extra for sprinkling on top
- 2 Tbsp salted butter cold
- 2 ½ tsp matcha sifted
- ½ C heavy cream reserve 1 T for brushing tops
- 2 Tbsp flaked almonds
Bergamot Glaze
- 1 Tbsp whole milk
- 6 heaped tsp icing sugar sifted
- ½ tsp culinary bergamot oil
Instructions
Scones:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a food processor, add in the butter, AP flour, sifted matcha powder, baking powder and sugar.
- Pulse intermittently until the mixture if mealy, like coarse bread crumbs.
- Gradually add in the heavy cream while pulsing a few times, just until the dough starts to form. Don't over mix the dough or it will become tough.
- Dump the mixture onto a large clean parchment paper and gently shape into a square, about ½ inch thick. Cut into triangles (on the diagonal) and place into the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and brush the tops with the reserved heavy cream. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sugar.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes at 400F, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before drizzling with bergamot glaze (recipe below).
Bergamot Glaze:
- Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix until there are no lumps.
- Drizzle the tops of the scones with the glaze and let it harden before serving.
Scone recipe adapted from Tyler Florence.
this sounds so good!! i’m a sucker for tea (matcha and earl grey!), so i’ll be making these asap (:
Yay, can’t wait to see it, Heather!! π