PARTNER POST: Discover new ways to incorporate seasonal teas into your holiday cooking and desserts with Celestial Seasonings.
Sweet scones with notes Cranberry Vanilla Tea, are crisp on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside. Serve them warm with vanilla butter for a delightful holiday treat.
In case you are having company over for the holidays, I have THE perfect festively fun baked treat for you today! And, BONUS, you can serve these jeweled splendors for breakfast, brunch, and snack time or ANYTIME in between. 
But, before I get into describing these holiday scones, I want to let you in on a little secret.
These scones are NOT your average tea scone. No sir-e-bob. These scones are made with actual TEA! AND, not just any-ole run of the mill tea. No ma’am. These merry and bright beauties are made with THE one and only, best of the best, Celestial Tea.
If you have been reading along, you already know there is ACTUAL tea in these scones, but I didn’t tell you what flavor of tea.
I used Celestial Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland Herbal Tea Bags in these scones, and let me tell you, the tea adds the perfect amount of cranberry and vanilla oomph. The flavor isn’t over powering, it is just the right amount of je-ne-sais-quoi.
These tea flavored scones have a crisp exterior with a super tender, perfectly crumbly interior. And, as far as taste is concerned, they are savory and slightly sweet with notes of subtle cranberry and juicy pops of pomegranates.
But, every scone needs a little schmear… With Cranberry-Vanilla Butter
You know how I used tea in the actual scones? Well, I also used it in the butter. Let’s just say I could use Celestial Tea in pretty much ALL the things.
This butter is bomb dot com, friends. It is rich, decadent and bursting with vanilla and cranberry flavor. Not to mention this butter is oh-so pretty with the speckles of tea lovingly scattered throughout.
Recipe Notes:
1. Great news – these tea scones can be made in advance! High five. ? To do so, simply follow the instructions in the recipe below, and make the dough through step 6. You will knead the dough into a rough disc about 7-8’’ round, but do NOT cut the disc into wedges. Simply wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it overnight. Then cut it into wedges, brush with cream and proceed to bake.
2.The Cranberry Vanilla Butter can also be made well in advance. Simply form it into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Baked tea scones can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Unwrap the flavors of the season with Celestial Tea and these Cranberry and Pomegranate Tea Scones! And don’t forget to smother them with Cranberry Vanilla Butter!
Warm, freshly baked scones + flavorful butter = holiday breakfast (Or brunch. Or snack time. Or dessert) of champions!
Want to try another fun recipe for the season? Check out this Candy Cane Tea Chocolate Bark! Recipe here.
Print
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 3 Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland Herbal Tea Bags
- 1 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 TBS Unsalted Butter – frozen and grated
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/3 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ heaping Cup fresh Pomegranate Arils (seeds)
- Topping:
- 1 TBS Heavy Cream
- Coarse Sugar
Tea Butter:
- 1 stick of Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
- 1 tea bag
Instructions
- Infuse the cream with the tea: In a small saucepan add heavy cream and tea bags. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat and let tea steep for at least 20 minutes or until cream is completely cool. Remove the tea bags and discard*.
- Make the tea butter: Open the tea bag and pour the grounds into a medium bowl. Add in the soft butter and mix together. Shape the mixed butter into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Transfer it in the fridge to firm back up.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust baking rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the grated butter and combine it with your fingers (or a fork) until it resembles coarse meal. Gently stir in the pomegranate arils. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ? cup of the cooled cream, egg, sugar and vanilla. Add it to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir the dough together until everything is JUST moistened and combined. (Add a splash more of the cream if dough seems dry)
- Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead it a couple of times* (make sure your hands are floured as well). Press the dough into a 7-8’’ disc, about ½’’ thick, and cut into 8 equal wedges with a sharp knife.
- Place scones at least 2’’ apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush scones with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve with tea butter.
Notes
*TO MAKE SCONES AHEAD: Follow directions through step 6 and knead the dough into a rough disc, but do NOT cut into wedges. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use the dough, remove it from the fridge and preheat the oven. Proceed to shape the dough into a 7-8’’ disc, cut into wedges and follow the rest of the directions according to the recipe.
*When removing the tea bags from the cream after steeping, use the back of a spoon to gently push the bags against the saucepan to release some of the tea into the cream.
*The tea butter can be kept, stored in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.
*Scones are best eaten right away, however they will keep at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for 2 days.
*Baked scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before eating or heating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baking
