Cinnamon Bun Scones
Servings: 8 scones
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter frozen
- 2 cups all-purpose flour see notes for GF swaps
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup heavy cream plus extra for brushing; see notes for dairy-free swaps
- 1 large egg or flax egg, see notes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Transfer to the fridge until ready to use. This is your filling.
- Grate the frozen butter onto a plate. If you forgot to freeze the butter, cut it with a sharp knife into small cubes and then stick it back in the freezer for a few moments to firm up.
- Whisk together the all purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add in the grated/cubed butter, using your fingers, two forks, or a pastry cutter to create a dough with pea-sized crumbs. (You can stop at this point if you are doing some prep work ahead of time; just transfer to the fridge and cover the dough.)
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spatula, wooden spoon, or a fork. The dough should be thick and sticky.
- Sprinkle a handful of flour on a clean surface or cutting board. Turn the dough onto the surface. Add flour to your hands and knead the dough gently until it forms a more cohesive ball. Form the dough into a rectangle. Fold the right side into the center, then the left side on top, almost like an envelope. Press it all down together and turn the rectangle to the right so it's horizontal again. The rectangle should be 5 inches wide and 14 inches long (13 x 35 cm).
- Use a spoon or offset spatula to spread the filling, which you've removed from the fridge, on top of the dough, as close to the edges as possible. Turn the dough so it's now vertical, with its short side closest to you. Gently gather the edge with your fingertips and roll it up, away from you, as tightly as you can to create a log of scone dough.
- Cut the log into eight pieces. It's okay if the dough squishes a bit; you can re-shape it into circles after it's cut. Transfer the unbaked cinnamon scones to a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for twice that amount of time.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the scones from the freezer and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. If they look flat, don't worry; they will expand in the oven.
- Combine the cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer, a food process or a medium bowl and a hand mixer. We recommend adding this frosting once the scones have cooled completely, and to only cover the scones you're going to consume within a few hours. You can, of course, ice them all ahead of time, but reheating them will be much messier. You can store the icing in the fridge, but you'll need to let it come to room temperature or very very gently warm it up so that it's spreadable.