Sweet Potato Chai Scones

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The colors of autumn are gorgeous, but the flavors of this season are pretty spectacular too.

I’m one of those people who would drink pumpkin spice coffee year-round, if I could. Chai tea comes in at a close second, and I love sweet potatoes in any form, from baked fries to creamy and mashed.

Paging through the September/October 2020 issue of Bake From Scratch magazine, I found a recipe for Sweet Potato-Chai Scones. They’re perfect for a chilly morning when you have a little extra time to bake a delicious fall treat. Plus, my husband, who generally doesn’t like sweet potatoes, enjoyed these scones. They’re definitely worth your time and effort!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup cold pureed cooked and peeled sweet potato (I saved a small potato after baking several at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour.)
  • 1/3 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon tightly packed orange zest
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • Sparkling sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and black pepper, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar by hand as needed. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3.  In a medium bowl, stir together sweet potato, cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Using a fork, gradually add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened.
  4. Turn out dough onto a clean surface; gently knead 4 to 6 times to bring dough together. Roll or pat dough into a 1-inch-thick circle (about 6 inches wide), lightly flouring surface as needed to prevent sticking. Using a bench scraper or thin-bladed knife, cut circle into 6 wedges, and place at least 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Brush tops with egg, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
  5.  Bake until golden brown, a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

The September/October issue of Bake From Scratch features many other recipes with mouth-watering fall flavors, including “Molasses-Swirled Sugar Cookies,” “Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels,” “French Apple Cake,” “Pear-Almond Olive Oil Cake,” and “Black Forest Pie.” It’s available at Whitehall Public Library, and can be requested here.