Assam tea scones

Submitted by: Adam Gibbs

Ground tea adds the perfect touch to these subtly spiced scones.

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook: 12-15 minutes

Serving Size: Serves 2 for breakfast, 4 for tea

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp Assam tea leaves
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 dashes cardamom
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cream
cinnamon sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Grind the tea leaves to a fine dust.

Shake them through a sieve to filter out the larger pieces.

Volume of ground tea leaves should be roughly 1/4 that of the unground (i.e. 1 tsp).

Combine first eight ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center, add cream, and stir until just combined. (Don't wash the measuring cup you used for the cream just yet, you'll want the residue later.)

Turn out on to a lightly floured work-surface and gently kneed until dough coheres and is smooth, about one minute.

Turn over from time to time to prevent dough from sticking to surface.

Pat dough out into a round 1/3 of an inch thick.

Using a biscuit cutter of any shape (mine was a 2 inch diameter circle) cut out scones and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Gather up scraps, pat out, and cut again.

Brush the tops of the scones with the cream residue left in the measuring cup.

If there isn't enough to lightly cover all the scones, pour in a bit more.

Dust with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

Makes 10-12 scones 2 inches in diameter.