Cinnamon Honey Scones

I love to eat scones but frequently, scones are dry, crumbly, and taste more like a biscuit than a scone.  I like this recipe for Cinnamon Honey Scones because it provides just the right amount of sweetness from the honey and cinnamon that is marbled throughout the dough.  It is also lightly crisp on the outside with a tender, flaky, and buttery interior.  Follow the steps below to make the perfect scone. 

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Cinnamon Honey Cubes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp (30g) all-purpose flour
• 2½ Tbsp (30g) granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp (4g) ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp (30g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• 1 Tbsp (20g) honey

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Method

Sift flour, sugar, and cinnamon into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Put butter cubes into bowl and use your fingertips to break the butter up until there are no large pieces left.  Using a spatula, mix in the honey to form a paste. 

Put paste onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a 4-inch square.  Wrap the square tightly with plastic wrap and put in the freezer until it freezes solid (approximately 2 hours).  This can be done up to a week ahead of time and left in the freezer.

Plain Scone Dough

Ingredients

• 1¼ cup (152g) all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups (304g) cake flour
• 2½ tsp (12.5g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2.5g) baking soda
• ½ cup (91g) granulated sugar
• 2 sticks (226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• ½ cup (135g) heavy cream
• ²/₃ cup (135g) sour cream

Making the Scones

Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl if using a hand mixer).  Mix with a paddle attachment on the lowest speed until combined. 

Stop the mixer and add the butter.  Begin to mix the butter into the flour on the lowest speed until it just begins to incorporate.  Increase the speed to low and continue to mix for approximately 3 minutes (or until the butter is broken up and incorporated into the dry mixture).  If there are any large butter pieces that haven’t incorporated, stop the mixer and break them up with your fingertips. 

Next, turn the mixer to slow and gradually pour in the cream.  Add the sour cream and mix for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough begins to come together.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. 

Cut the frozen cinnamon butter paste into ¼-inch cubes and fold them into the mixed dough.  Don’t worry if they start to break up a little.  That will be fine. 

Mound the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap and use your hands to press the dough into a 7½-by-10-inch block.  Straighten the edges as best as you can.  This method will make rectangular scones.  If you want triangular scones, divide the dough in half and press each half into circles.  Cover the shaped dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm. 

Baking the Cinnamon Honey Scones

Once firm, remove from the fridge and cut into rectangles (there should be a total of 12 scones).  Place the scones on a sheet pan with space between each of them.  Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and freeze the dough until solid.  I find that this is best to do overnight so they are ready to go in the morning when you want to eat them.  If you are not going to bake all of the scones, remove the scones from the baking sheet as soon as they are frozen solid.  Wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer safe container.  I suggest writing the date that you made them on the container so that you don’t need to remember in the future.  The scones can remain in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

When making scone dough, using cold ingredients is of the utmost importance.  Don’t skip the freezing step (even if you really want to … trust me on this).  Scones that have been in the freezer have a higher rise because it takes longer for the butter to melt when it is baking.  If the butter melts quickly, the scones will typically spread outward rather than upward. 

When you are ready to bake your scones, preheat your oven to 350°F and arrange the frozen scones on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat (easy clean-up) with an inch between each scone.  This will allow for the edges to get crispier.  Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Honey Butter Glaze

Ingredients

• 3½ Tbsp (45g) melted unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp (20g) honey

Method

While the scones are baking, you will make the glaze.  This adds an additional touch of sweetness, while not being overpowering.  Stir the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter and honey combine.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  When the scones come out of the oven, brush the top of each scone with a liberal amount of glaze using a pastry brush.  It will soak into the scones while they cool. 

These Cinnamon Honey Scones take a little bit of time to make but they are definitely worth the effort.  If you get a chance to make these, please leave me a comment down below or send a picture so I can see how they turned out! 

Additional Notes:

• Scones are best the day they are baked.  I like to keep the frozen scones in the freezer and just bake off the number that I need.  If you have any baked scones left over, put them in an airtight container.  They will soften as they sit.    
• This recipe incorporates cinnamon and honey as the flavor combination, but you can change them to fit your tastes.  Examples of flavor ideas include different spices (e.g., nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, allspice), herbs for a savory scone (e.g., basil, rosemary, thyme), citrus zest, extracts (e.g., vanilla or almond), and mix-ins (e.g., fresh/frozen berries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts).
• This recipe was adapted from the “Cinnamon Honey Scones” recipe in the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook.

Looking for more breakfast ideas?

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