Triple Tea Scones

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons Black Currant loose leaf tea, divided equally into 2 portions of 2 teaspoons each
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons Black Currant loose leaf tea, ground finely in a spice grinder (the result will yield approximately 1 tsp ground tea)
• 2 3/4 cups (326g) of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, plus 1 tbsp more
• 1/3 cup (67g) cane sugar
 
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed
• 1 cup dried currants (if using), or sliced almonds
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup of powdered sugar (plus 1/3 cup more for a thicker glaze)

Directions

1. Twenty minutes ahead of making this recipe, spoon 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea into a heatproof measuring cup. Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over the leaves and steep for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid into a small cup, discarding the steeped tea leaves, and chill in the refrigerator until the liquid reaches room temperature (20 minutes).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the ground tea, all the flour, sugar, sea salt, and baking powder.
3. Add the butter into the bowl, mixing with a fork until well incorporated. The texture will resemble breadcrumbs with little chunks throughout. Stir in dried currants, if using, or nuts.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the vanilla, heavy cream, and chilled tea liquid from the refrigerator.
5. Add the bowl of wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and fold the dough 3-4 times, pressing down to bring the dough together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
7. Run a sharp knife under cold water and divide the dough in half. Shape both halves into 6" discs, about ¾” thick. Cut both discs into six wedges, then pull the wedges apart slightly so they can expand while baking.
8. Place the baking sheet with the scones into the freezer for 30 minutes. (Chilling the dough helps to make the scones more tender, flakier and fluffier.) While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 425°F and make the glaze.
9. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until steaming. Remove milk from heat, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea and steep for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid into a measuring cup, discarding the tea leaves.
10. In a medium bowl, add 2/3 cup of powdered sugar, then add most of the strained tea liquid. Whisk together till smooth. Adjust the thickness/thinness by adding more powdered sugar or tea liquid.
11. Once the dough has chilled, bake the scones in the upper half of your oven for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Place scones on a rack to cool slightly. Drizzle with glaze and enjoy while still warm...with a cup of tea!
13. Storing: Once completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for several days.

Yields: 12 scones