Sprinkle Scones with Icing

“A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came – a loud knock.” -JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit

I make scones for every possible occasion, as they can be shaped ahead of time and frozen, then pulled out and baked as needed. I like them plain, packed with fruit, dusted in sugar, coated in icing, studded with chocolate and white chocolate and more chocolate, dotted with crystallized ginger and dried cranberries and poppy seeds and candied orange.

And while Bilbo probably wouldn’t add sprinkles to his scones, I often do, because I have two little nieces whose eyes light up at the sight of rainbow specks on pretty much anything. My two teenage children also will gravitate towards sprinkle treats as well. These scones are soft, tender, and delicious.

Scone Technique

I had been making scones the same way for years – an adaption of Ina Garten’s Strawberry Scones from her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa. However, I changed things up after stumbling upon a genius idea from Cook’s Illustrated. Their scone recipe included folding the dough over several times to create multiple flaky layers. I applied this technique to my tried and true recipe, and my perfect scone was born.

NOTE: Putting another baking sheet nestled directly underneath the one the scones are on helps keep the bottoms of the scones from browning too quickly before they fully bake. If you like the bottoms extra crisp, you can just use one pan.

More Scone Recipes:

• Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
• Panettone Scones
• Mixed Berry Scones

Sprinkle Scones with Icing

Servings: 8 scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Freezing Time: 20 minutes minutes

Tender, buttery vanilla scones with sprinkles mixed into the dough! Topped with an easy icing and more sprinkles.

Sarah Kieffer

4.41 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

• ½ cup [120 g] heavy cream plus more for brushing
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cup [320 g] all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup [50 g] granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons [1 ½ sticks or 170 g] unsalted butter cold, and cut into ½ in [12 mm] pieces
• 1/3 cup [50 g] sprinkles

Icing

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 ¼ cup [150 g] confectioners’ sugar
• Sprinkles for sprinkling

Instructions

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Add the sprinkles and mix again until combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead four to six times, until the dough comes together, adding more flour as necessary if the dough is sticky. Pat the dough gently into a square and roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square, dusting with flour as necessary. Fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. Fold the dough in thirds again by folding in the short ends, making a square. Transfer it to the prepared sheet pan and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes. You can watch a video here to see how to do this step.
• Return the dough to the floured surface, roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square, and fold it in thirds. Turn over the dough so it’s seam-side-down, and gently roll out the dough into a 12 by 4 in [30.5 by 10 cm] rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut it crosswise into four equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Transfer the scones to the prepared sheet pan and freeze the scones while the oven is preheating.
• Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F [190C]. Stack the sheet pan with scones on another sheet pan. Brush the tops of the triangles with a little heavy cream, making sure it doesn’t drip down the sides. Bake until the tops and bottoms are light golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, 18 to 25 minutes.
• For the icing: While the scones are baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, water, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and use a spatula to mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to thin the icing to your preferred consistency; the icing should be thick but pourable.
• Transfer the top sheet pan to a wire rack and ice the scones immediately, using the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Sprinkle the tops with sprinkles. Scones are best eaten the same day they are made.