Perhaps our easiest and most straightforward make-ahead recipe, these White Chocolate Peppermint Scones offer a fabulously festive breakfast with minimal effort. On Christmas Eve, you can pull together the dough in a flash before popping it into the freezer. The morning of, it’ll go from freezer directly to preheated oven, with only a brush of cream in between. Then, you’re only a quick Vanilla Glaze drizzle away from your fastest, sweetest holiday breakfast.
White Chocolate Peppermint Scones
Makes 6 scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup (180 grams) cold heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) peppermint extract
- 3 ounces (85 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup (64 grams) crushed soft peppermint candies*
- White sparkling sugar, for sprinkling
- Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows)
- Garnish: crushed soft peppermint candies
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, stir together cold cream, vanilla bean paste, and peppermint extract. Gradually add cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in white chocolate and candies. (Dough will be quite crumbly or shaggy in parts.)
- Turn out dough onto a clean surface; gently knead 8 to 10 times to bring dough together. Roll or pat dough into a 7-inch circle (about 1 inch thick), very lightly flouring surface as needed to prevent sticking; press together any cracks that form, if necessary. Using a bench scraper or a thin-bladed knife, cut circle into 6 wedges; place wedges at least 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Brush tops of scones with cream; sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake until lightly golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 27 minutes.
- Spoon Vanilla Glaze into a small pastry or resealable plastic bag; cut a ¼-inch opening in tip or corner. Drizzle glaze onto scones as desired. Garnish with candies, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*Use only soft candies and avoid using hard peppermint candies
Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2½ tablespoons (37.5 grams) heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth and well combined. Use immediately.
