These Matcha Ruby Chocolate Scones have a beautiful jade green shade and a grounding taste with a hint of bitterness, balanced off from a sweet and slightly tangy ruby chocolate. It is delightfully light and really do melt in your mouth!
I went to a Japanese-theme high tea recently and was impressed with the scones, especially the matcha ones. The scones were freshly baked right in front of us and served very warm. The best way to eat scones isn’t it?
The moment I bite into the scone slathered generously with clotted cream and a pat of lemon posset, I was in heaven. I used to sell scones for a short period during the hike of covid-19. So when I had a good scone that sends me to bliss, the thought of recreating them at home strikes naturally.
So here I am, sharing a matcha scone recipe that I’m happy with and hopeful that you will try them out!
Types of Matcha
There are several grades of matcha for different purposes. From culinary grade to barista and ceremonial grades. Prices varies quite a bit according to their grades. To make these scones, the use of quality matcha is the key here.
A good matcha should have a fresh vegetal aroma and a smooth sweetness. I chose to use Uji matcha of barista grade for these scones. I often find that culinary grade tend to be lacking in flavour and too bitter for my liking, whereas ceremonial grade too precious to use on baking. So barista grade or some brands call it latte grade, stands somewhere in between and works best for this recipe.
Key ingredients to make Matcha Ruby Scones
Flour – I always use a mixture of all-purpose flour and cake flour to achieve a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture that still retains a sturdy form
Baking powder – necessary for scones to rise. To prevent the scones from having a “metallic taste”, seek out aluminium-free baking powder
Butter – always use unsalted butter and ensure the butter is very very cold before working it into the flour
Matcha – seek barista grade if possible for best flavour and vibrant green shade. Matcha absorbs a lot of moisture, so using an appropriate amount is crucial to ensure that the scones get enough matcha flavour without being too dry
Sugar – with matcha’s strong flavour, a good dose of sugar is important to keep flavour in balance
Ruby chocolate – apart from its lovely shade of pink that compliments so well with matcha green, ruby chocolate has an ever so slight berry tang that I love. If you can’t find ruby chocolate, just replace with white chocolate. The scones will taste equally delicious!
How to maintain the vibrant green shade of matcha scones
Most scone recipes used whole egg wash and sometimes even egg yolk wash to achieve a nice browning on the surface of the scones. But I want these matcha scones to look bright and green instead of brown. So the secret is to use only the egg white mix with icing sugar as egg wash. Not only can we keep the surface of the scones from turning brown, this method also adds a layer of delicious light crunch from that icing sugar. Try it!
Tips for scone success
- KEEP EVERYTHING VERY COLD. For perky and tender scones, you will want the butter and dry ingredients to blend as evenly as you can without letting the butter melt. You can do this by CHILLING EVERYTHING, like your flour and all. Even better, cut your butter into cubes and pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes or so before using. Work in a cool environment helps a ton! If you have AC in the working area, use it to lower the room temperature.
- DO NOT OVERWORK YOUR DOUGH. Once the wet ingredients are mix into the butter-flour mixture, you will want as minimal handling as possible to get your dough together. This is to prevent gluten from forming that will make the scones dry and sad.
- Do not over bake your scones. I recommend baking at a higher temperature of 190C at a shorter timing. Every oven is different and I can attest to that coz I have two ovens and both operate so differently! Set your timer to 12mins and check for doneness from there. If required, bake additional few more minutes but watch closely.
How to enjoy these matcha scones
Sometimes you don’t need a special reason to indulge. These scones are easy to make and perfect for your afternoon tea. Matcha and citrus are a lovely pairing I love to eat them with clotted cream and lemon curd. So seek out some lemon curd or perhaps yuzu marmalade along with clotted cream. Then make yourself a pot of sencha or sakura tea to go along with the scones.
Matcha Ruby Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 100 grams all purpose flour
- 70 grams cake flour
- 10 grams matcha powder preferably barista grade
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 40 grams caster sugar
- 50 grams unsalted butter very cold
- 1 large egg cold
- 110 grams heavy cream cold
- 50 grams ruby chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
Egg wash
- 8 grams egg white
- 16 grams icing sugar
Instructions
Scones
- Cut the butter into small cubes, about 1.5cm and place them in the freezer for 15 mins. Measure the flours, matcha, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and put in the fridge to chill.
- Meanwhile, crack the egg into a small bowl. Scoop out 8g of egg white and reserve it for egg wash later. Lightly beat the remaining egg together with the heavy cream. Place them back to the fridge for now.
- Once butter is cold enough, take out from the freezer and add to the cold flour mixture. Rub the butter and flour mixture between your fingers until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Create a well in the center of the butter-flour mixture. Add in the cold egg-cream mixture. Mix with a rubber spatula starting from the sides. Use cutting method to mix until mixture forms a rough dough. Do not overmix.
- Now add in the ruby chocolate chips. Fold a few times to combine. The dough will be quite wet which is ok as matcha tends to absorb a lot of moisture. Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and fold the plastic into a square. Gently pat the dough into roughly 12cm by 12cm square. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. At this point, you can also place in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you are not baking them yet.
- Preheat the oven to 190C for conventional oven or 170C for fan-assisted oven. Line baking tray with baking paper.
- Once dough is chilled, remove from freezer / fridge. Using a 5cm round cutter, stamp right down into the dough without twisting the cutter. Place the stamped out scones on the lined baking tray, placing them 2 inches apart. Gather the balance dough and form into a square again and continue stamping out more scones. You should be able to get 8 to 9 scones from this recipe.
Egg wash and bake
- Add icing sugar to the 8g of egg white. Mix until you get a sticky white paste. Brush egg wash on each scone . Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes. Checking at 12 minutes mark. Take note not to over bake the scones.
- The scones should not look overly brown with the egg white wash. Allow to cool a little before eating.
For a visual guidance to make this recipe, check out this reel!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @vanillynbakery on Instagram. I’d love to see your lovely bakes!
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