Earl Grey Toasted Walnut Honey Scones
Earl grey toasted walnut honey scones - how fancy does that sound?? Especially with that “earl” placed right in front there. Earls are fancy. And so is earl grey tea. And so are earl grey infused desserts.
Earl grey tea is quite British and posh. And is such a wonderful flavor addition to scones. Because earl grey tea is black tea infused with oil from a bergamot orange peel. And that sounds like a very pastry-appropriate add-in to me, not that I know what a bergamot orange is or anything.
You know what else is a surprisingly scone-appropriate inclusion? Honey.
Now, one might think that honey could potentially mess with the trademark flaky texture of a scone, but actually, the particular scones I bring you today are not of the flaky variety.
These earl grey walnut scones are tender and soft and fluffy. They’re scones made with no butter at all, but rather heavy cream, which takes the place of any butter or eggs or fat or liquid a scone might otherwise require.
So the honey, in this particular scone case, works to make these walnut scones even more tender and moist and delicate.
The walnuts. Chop them. And even more importantly, toast them.
Trust me when I say you’ll want the extra level of flavor that results from toasting walnuts over simply throwing in raw walnuts straight from the bag.
Those toasted, nutty, crunchy walnut bits scattered throughout the scones, combined with the floral and fruity flavor of the honey, supplemented with the richness of the heavy cream, and complemented with the sweet, glossy earl grey infused glaze make for one intensely lovely scone.
“Lovely” is, yes, exactly the word I’d use to describe these earl grey honey scones.
Not “delicious,” even though these scones obviously are that, because that’s too common a descriptor. These toasted walnut scones aren’t peasants, okay! They’re fancy and posh, remember? They’re sophisticated and complex and deserve the “lovely” title to the fullest extent.
As for the glaze for these lovely, tender scones.
It’s simply confectioners sugar and vanilla extract mixed with earl grey tea. Earl grey tea which is made by steeping an earl grey tea bag in some boiled water.
That glaze is spooned atop each fluffy and puffy and delicate and tender scone for extra flavor and glossiness and fanciness and sweetness and loveliness.
I mean, who’s not intrigued by the idea of sinking her or his teeth into a freshly baked, tender and delicate scone that’s studded with toasted walnuts and lightly sweetened with honey (and also some reg sugar) and topped with an earl grey infused glaze, eh?
In summary, I have one question for you: Are you ready to drastically up your breakfast game with these earl grey toasted walnut honey scones or na?
Earl Grey Toasted Walnut Honey Scones
Yield: 16 scones
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
3 1/4 cups packed flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cold heavy cream (+ more for brushing)
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Earl Grey Glaze:
1 earl grey tea bag
1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Spread the chopped walnuts onto first baking sheet and toast until browned and emitting a nutty aroma, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in cooled walnuts.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the chilled heavy cream, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir everything together until ingredients are just moistened (you don't want to over mix these).
5. Dump dough out onto floured work surface. Knead for a minute until everything is just incorporated and then divide dough into 2 equal portions. Flatten each portion into an 8-inch disk, then slice each disk into 8 triangles.
6. Space scones evenly onto prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until tops and bottoms are golden. Let cool before glazing.
7. Glaze: steep tea bag in the boiled water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the tea to a small bowl with the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until a thick yet pourable consistency forms. Spoon glaze onto cooled scones, letting glaze drip down sides.
