Cardamom Vanilla Cream Scones

I first made these Cardamom Vanilla Cream Scones in January during our fourth day stuck at home due to the large snow storm. I was itching to bake something and happened to have all the ingredients on hand to make these scones. We enjoyed them so much that I added them to the menu I was planning for my daughter’s first birthday party.

These flaky scones are rich with a generous amount of butter and cream (you can substitute with half and half to make them a little lighter). The addition of two vanilla beans and vanilla extract give a burst of vanilla flavor and the cardamom adds a nice warmth. They are best served warm from the oven with butter or jam.

When making the scones for my daughter’s party, I assembled and cut the scones, arranged them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, and froze for a few hours before transferring them to a freezer safe bag. I baked them straight from the freezer right before the party with just a couple of minutes added to the baking time. They were perfect and even maybe a little extra flaky from being so cold right before baking.

Green Cardamom (Elettaria, Elaichi) originated in India and is the third most expensive spice, following saffron and vanilla. It is a highly aromatic, warm citrus-like spice similar to ginger and cinnamon. Most of the flavor is in the seeds encased by the green pods. You can buy cardamom whole or ground, but the seeds quickly lose their flavor once the pods are cut. I was able to find green cardamom at World Market and other specialty spice stores/International Markets featuring Indian products. Many larger supermarkets carry ground cardamom. It is also available on Amazon: Cardamom Pods Green (Elachi)3.5oz- Indian Grocery and Frontier Cardamom Pods, Green, Whole, 16 Ounce Bag.

More information on green cardamom.

Cardamom Vanilla Cream Scones
Adapted from Savory Simple
12 scones

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 vanilla beans
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 cup light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream or melted butter for brushing over the tops

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slice the vanilla beans in half and scrape the seeds into the flour mixture.

Cut the butter into the flour using a dough blade, your fingers, or forks until the mixture becomes coarse and no pieces are larger than a pea.

Mix in the cream and vanilla extract until just combined. Knead lightly to bring the dough together, but don’t overwork.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Flatten one of the halves into a circle about 7 inches wide. Slice into 6 equal triangles. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet at least an inch apart and repeat with the remaining half of dough.

Brush cream or butter over the scones and bake in preheated oven until golden and puffed, 10-12 minutes. Serve warm with butter or jam.