A good scone is hard to find.  One is too dry. Another is hard and bland. When you do stumble upon a good one, it’s hard not to stop everything and savor a proper tea time.

This recipe for Earl Grey & Currant Scones falls into the latter category. Whether you are making these for breakfast or a late afternoon snack allow yourself enough time to linger.  A crispy exterior yields to a moist interior with a tender crumb. Sweet dried currants generously stud these scones and carry the subtle flavor of tea thanks to being pre-moistened in freshly brewed Earl Grey tea prior to baking.

This recipe comes together quickly which has me seriously considering a regular afternoon high tea in our home.  After all, wouldn’t every afternoon be better if paired with some of these?

Craving scones, but looking for something a little different?  Try my recipes for Scones with Dried Cranberries or Dried Apricot Scones.  All go well with tea.

Earl Grey & Currant Scones – Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 8 large scones

Enjoy these scones on their own or top with your favorite jam.  I’m partial to strawberry and balsamic jam.  

3/4 cup dried currants
3 tablespoons boiling water
1 Earl Grey tea bag
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
Special equipment:  1 (9-inch) round cake pan (optional), pastry blender

Place a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Pour the boiling water over the tea bag in a small bowl.  Let steep for 5 minutes.   Remove the tea bag, squeezing out any excess liquid from the bag, and discard.  Reheat the 3 tablespoons of the tea until steaming (a short time in the microwave (less than 30 seconds)) is perfect.  Stir in the currants and let sit.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is in very small pieces.   If the butter starts to soften during this process, place the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before continuing with the next step.

Stir the currants and any leftover tea into the flour mixture.  Slowly add the cream and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.  Use your hands to quickly pull together the dough, incorporating any leftover flour mixture from the bottom of the bowl.

Evenly pat the dough into a 9-inch round cake pan. If you don’t have a cake pan, simply pat the dough out into a round shape that is about 1/2-inch thick.  If using the cake pan, turn the dough round out onto a cutting board.  Cut into eight wedges and place each wedge on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake scones for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let sit for at least ten minutes before serving.