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Chef Taha Ayad's Recipe Homemade Chai Scones with Thick Maple Chai Glaze

Homemade Chai Scones with Maple Chai Glaze

These homemade chai scones are tender, flaky, and warmly spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. A thick maple chai glaze gives them a sweet finish for breakfast, brunch, or holiday baking.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Resting and Glaze Setting Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 8 scones
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chai Scones
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter very cold and diced into small cubes
  • ½ cup heavy cream very cold
  • 2 large eggs divided; reserve 1 egg white for brushing
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp chai spice blend
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
For the Maple Chai Glaze
  • 1 heaping cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp chai spice blend
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream plus more as needed
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • 2-Cup Liquid Measuring Cup
  • Whisk
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Rolling Pin
  • Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper
  • Large Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Wire Cooling Rack

Method
 

  1. Working quickly, dice the cold butter into small, even cubes, place it on a plate, and freeze it while preparing the remaining ingredients.
  2. Measure the heavy cream into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk in 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, reserve the remaining egg white for brushing, and place the cream mixture in the freezer to chill.
  3. Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, chai spice blend, and kosher salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine.
  4. Add the frozen butter and pulse 25 to 30 times, stopping when some butter pieces are finely coated with flour and several larger pieces remain visible.
  5. Gradually pulse in the chilled cream and egg mixture until the dough begins forming a rough ball and pulling away from the sides of the food processor; do not add more liquid than needed.
  6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, gather it gently into a ball, press it into a thick disc, wrap it in plastic, and freeze it for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  8. For full-sized scones, roll or press the chilled dough into a 1-inch-thick circle and cut it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper.
  9. For mini scones, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, cut it into 2-inch-wide strips, and divide each strip into triangles about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long.
  10. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet with space between them and brush the tops generously with the reserved egg white.
  11. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, checking mini scones a few minutes early, until the tops are golden, the centers are puffed, and the edges are lightly crisp.
  12. Transfer the baked scones to a wire rack and allow them to cool before glazing.
  13. While the scones bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, chai spice blend, vanilla extract, heavy cream, maple syrup, and kosher salt until a thick glaze forms.
  14. Adjust the glaze with additional powdered sugar if it is too thin or add heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time if it is too thick.
  15. Dip the top of each cooled scone into the glaze, allow the first coating to settle for several minutes, and dip the scones a second time for a thicker finish.
  16. Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes before serving the scones with coffee or tea.

Notes

  1. Keep the butter, cream, and egg mixture very cold so the butter remains visible in the dough and creates flaky layers as the scones bake.
  2. Stop processing the dough as soon as it begins to gather into a rough ball; overmixing can make the crumb firm and bread-like.
  3. You may not need all of the cream mixture, so add it gradually and stop when the dough is slightly damp but not sticky.
  4. Allow the scones to cool before glazing so the coating stays thick instead of melting into the pastry.
  5. For the thickest glaze, dip each scone twice and let the first coating settle briefly before adding the second.
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