Chai Oat Scones (Reduced Sugar)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 16, 2020
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Makes 8 scones
Sugar
3 grams (down from 11)
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. You can skip grinding the Sucanat in step 3; however, the scones will have a speckled appearance. Do not substitute quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats in this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats over rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to large bowl and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place in second baking sheet.
- Microwave cream and tea bags in covered bowl until hot, about 1 minute; let steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze tea bags to extract as much cream as possible; discard bags. Whisk cream, egg and yolk, vanilla, and honey together in small bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon cream mixture and set aside.
- Grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. In food processor, pulse ground Sucanat, flour, baking powder, and salt until combined, about 10 pulses. Scatter chilled butter evenly over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 12 to 14 pulses. Stir mixture into toasted oats. Using rubber spatula, fold in cream mixture until just combined.
- Transfer dough to well-floured counter. Dust dough with flour and gently pat into 7-inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Using floured bench scraper or chef's knife, cut dough into 8 wedges.
- Lay scones on prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart, and brush with reserved cream mixture. Bake scones until dark golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let scones cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Makes 8 sconesSugar
3 grams (down from 11)Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To avoid a dry, leaden texture, classic oatmeal scone recipes incorporate copious amounts of sugar. We liked the warm, rounded sweetness of Sucanat and honey, but these scones didn't rise well and were predictably dry and crumbly. Increasing the oven heat was a step in the right direction: The moisture inside the scones quickly converted to steam, which encouraged rise, and the scones baked faster, which meant less time in the oven—and less time to dry out. Although these scones were fluffier, we still wanted them to be moister. Adding cream helped, but we could only add so much before the dough became too difficult to work with. An extra egg yolk solved this problem, contributing richness without added liquid. With the texture issues solved, we turned our attention to the somewhat lackluster flavor. Toasting the oats brought out their natural sweetness and nutty flavor. We then added generous doses of complementary spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but no matter how much we added, tasters complained that their flavors didn't come through. Finally, one taster suggested a surprising solution: chai tea. We were happy to find that briefly steeping two chai tea bags in the cream was a simple way to create complex flavor.
Before You Begin
You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. You can skip grinding the Sucanat in step 3; however, the scones will have a speckled appearance. Do not substitute quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats in this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats over rimmed baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to large bowl and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place in second baking sheet.
- Microwave cream and tea bags in covered bowl until hot, about 1 minute; let steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze tea bags to extract as much cream as possible; discard bags. Whisk cream, egg and yolk, vanilla, and honey together in small bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon cream mixture and set aside.
- Grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. In food processor, pulse ground Sucanat, flour, baking powder, and salt until combined, about 10 pulses. Scatter chilled butter evenly over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 12 to 14 pulses. Stir mixture into toasted oats. Using rubber spatula, fold in cream mixture until just combined.
- Transfer dough to well-floured counter. Dust dough with flour and gently pat into 7-inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Using floured bench scraper or chef's knife, cut dough into 8 wedges.
- Lay scones on prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart, and brush with reserved cream mixture. Bake scones until dark golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let scones cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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