Dianhong Honey Scones with Clotted Cream
Tender Dianhong-infused honey scones served warm with clotted cream and a spoonful of orange marmalade—Yunnan meets a Devon afternoon.
Dianhong is one of the few Chinese black teas that holds up to the British afternoon-tea treatment, and these scones are the proof. The leaves are steeped into the buttermilk to thread the tea's honey-and-cocoa notes right into the crumb, with a finishing honey glaze on top.
Cold butter is the secret to a tender, flaky scone. Cube it, freeze it for 10 minutes before mixing, and stop working the dough the moment the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Anything more and you've made a biscuit.
Do not twist the cutter when you stamp out the scones. A clean down-and-up motion lets the layers rise straight; a twist seals the edges and the scones come out lopsided.
Serve the moment they're cool enough to handle, with proper clotted cream and a tart marmalade (Seville orange is ideal). Brew the same Dianhong alongside—the cup and the scone should taste like they were made for each other, because they were.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp Dianhong tea leaves
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp honey, plus 2 tbsp for glaze
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk (for wash)
- Clotted cream and orange marmalade, to serve
How to make it
- 1Warm buttermilk in a small saucepan until just steaming (not boiling). Add Dianhong leaves, cover, and steep off heat 12 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing leaves. Cool to room temperature.
- 2Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- 3Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter cubes and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- 4In a separate bowl, whisk the cooled tea-infused buttermilk with egg, 1 tbsp honey, and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms—stop the moment it comes together.
- 5Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, pat into a 3 cm thick round, and stamp out 8 scones with a 6 cm cutter (do not twist). Place on the baking sheet.
- 6Brush tops with egg yolk wash. Bake 15–18 minutes until golden and risen.
- 7Warm 2 tbsp honey gently and brush over the hot scones. Cool 5 minutes and serve warm with clotted cream and orange marmalade.
Want to learn more about Yunnan Dianhong? Visit its full profile.
Back to Yunnan DianhongYou might also like
What to Eat with Yunnan Dianhong Black Tea
Dianhong's honeyed malt and cocoa-sweet-potato finish make it a natural breakfast tea—pastries, dark chocolate, sweet potato dishes, and banana bread all sing alongside.
Dianhong Honey-Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato wedges roasted to caramelized edges and brushed with a Dianhong honey glaze—a sticky, smoky, side-or-supper dish that begs for a fresh cup.