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So some of you may not know, but I have two younger siblings: a 20 (soon-to-be-21!) year-old brother, and a 16 year-old sister. And all three of us are thankfully very close — we’d make each other tea when someone was sick, or we would all go to Target and stock up on junk food for Super Mario Bros marathons.
However, my brother Alex decided he had to be all adult-like and grown-up and move out. He did so this past January, and the house hasn’t been the same without him. He lives about 6 hours away now *tear* with his adorable girlfriend, Kelsey.
Now, I’ve never moved out before (I know, I know) but I know that most young-adults who have moved out aren’t typically eating the most delicious foods (I’m looking at you, ramen) and I know my brother is suffering from Bland-Food-Syndrome that nearly every college kid suffers from. If I remember correctly, I do recall him saying they had pasta and Ragu for the past few days in a row… that poor soul.
Both Alex & Kelsey are preparing for their final semesters at the local university, and if I remember anything from college, it was all the late-night studying I did (complete with snacks, of course). Whether it was writing up flashcards and quizzing myself or typing furiously at my thesis statement, I always needed an edible pick-me-up and I can guarantee Alex and Kelsey could use one, too!
So since both will be up studying late and need all the help they can get, I decided to create some scrumptious scones made from Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea. This stuff is so good, y’all. Bigelow added a creamy vanilla flavor to their hand-picked black tea blend. It offers the perfect amount of exotic, heart-warming spices making this the ideal sweet & spicy chai tea. It’s great both iced and hot and tastes even better when baked up in soft & tender cinnamon-spiced scones! It’ll offer just the right dose of caffeine for their late-night cram sessions and sustenance right before a marathon study-sesh. The perfect treat!
If Vanilla Chai isn’t your jam, don’t fret — Target has a HUGE selection of Bigelow Tea on their tea & coffee aisle. Constant Comment happens to be one of my faves (also spicy like chai, but a bit more mellow), but I happen to think Earl Grey would be AWESOME in a scone with a simple lemon glaze or perhaps some dried lavender leaves. Check out your local Target store for a better selection.
I don’t miss school, but I do wish I had a handful of these tender scones to nosh on throughout my work day. Think they’ll mind if I kept a couple back? 🙂
*scone recipe adapted from BruCrew Life
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8th tsp ground ginger
- 6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small chunks
- 2/3 cup Bigelow Vanilla Chai tea, brewed & cooled
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR GLAZE:
- 1/4 cup Bigelow Vanilla Chai tea, brewed & cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cream or milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar, for topping
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or a silicone liner; if using wax paper, mist the paper lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices until combined. Using two forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or begins to look sandy. Create a well in the center of the mixture.
- Add the brewed tea, egg and vanilla and begin mixing until a soft dough forms; do NOT over mix — this will create a tough scone. Pat the dough into an 8″ round circle onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly score the dough into 8 wedges using the tip of a knife.
- Bake the scones for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Allow the scones to cool completely on the pan before cutting them completely along the score lines.
- In a small bowl, combing the remaining brewed tea, vanilla extract and milk with the powdered sugar until a soft glaze forms — you want it to be thick enough to stick to the scones but still runny enough to drizzle — add more powdered sugar or cream/tea if needed.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the scones and immediately top with cinnamon sugar. Allow the glaze to set, about 5 minutes, before serving. Store leftovers airtight, at room temperature.
These scones have become my new favorite breakfast treat! They’re so perfectly spiced, thanks to the hearty sweet & spicy flavor from Bigelow’s Vanilla Chai Tea. You can taste the tea in these buttery, perfectly plush scones, and I love the simple tea glaze on top with the crunch of the cinnamon sugar dusting. So irresistible!
I packed these bad boys up with some other Bigelow Tea samplings & a Target gift card for Alex & Kelsey and sent the scones & the recipe on their way up north. They should arrive any day now, and I can’t wait for my brother and his girlfriend to have a heart-warming taste of home in their new home 🙂 plus, with the other flavors of Bigelow Tea so they can make their own scones at home by experimenting with some new flavors!
Be sure to connect with Bigelow Tea on their FACEBOOK or TWITTER and check out your local TARGET for more Bigelow Tea flavors! Or follow the hashtag #TrendTea for more inspiration!
Have a fantastical day!!
xo, Hayley
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
These scones look amazing and exactly what I would want to be eating during a late night study session! In fact, I ate a lot of Starbucks Pumpkin or Vanilla Bean scones in college…
Danielle @ TheBestDessertRecipes.com says
Oooh these look SO good!
Heather {Brie Brie Blooms} says
These look great! I would have loved a package with homemade baked goods while I was in college! You’re such a sweet sister and I’m sure your brother and his girlfriend are going to love the treats and Bigelow tea you sent them! #client
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies says
Uhhh yeah. “Studying”. that’s what I stayed up late doing in college. Definitely. These scones look SO tasty. I’m a sucker for chai and for scones, so definitely a winner here!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Be still my chai-loving heart!! Please send a huge batch of these my way! 🙂
Renee @ Awesome on $20 says
I love chai, so these scones sound perfect. I definitely wasn’t cooking anything this awesome when I was in college.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
I just puffy heart love that Vanilla Chai tea!!! It smells so good!!! These are the best looking scones girl! I totally need to break out the scones again…it has been way too long since I made some!!!
Bianca Neal says
They look amazing!!! I actually just put them in the oven!! The only thing is that my dough was INCREDIBLY sticky! I added about a cup extra of flour to get it to a consistency in which it could be scored.
Bianca Neal says
I’m afraid that I need to amend my rating of four stars. So far the recipe has had too many issues. The dry to liquid ingredients ratio is wayyyyy off and unfortunately so is the cooking time. I haven’t tasted them yet but I’m sorry to say that I won’t be making them again.