Delicious, moist cinnamon scones with a crunchy exterior. Made with cinnamon chips, a cinnamon filling layer, and cinnamon sugar topping, they're like cinnamon rolls in scone form!
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut in the butter, until the butter is in pieces no larger than peas. Stir in cinnamon chips.
Whisk together egg, half and half, and vanilla in a measuring cup. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Use a fork to toss the flour and egg mixture together, stirring just enough to moisten the flour. A tiny bit of leftover flour in the bowl is okay, but if you have a lot, add a teaspoon or two more of milk until a dough forms.
Use the fork or your hands to gently form a ball of dough. (Don't handle the dough too much, or your scones will be tough.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 9x9 inch square.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Pat about ⅔ of it onto the dough, all the way to the edges. Fold the top third of the dough over the middle third of the dough, as if you're folding a tri-fold letter. Pat down the dough.
Fold the bottom third of the dough up to the top of the new rectangle. Pat down the dough, lengthening it as you pat into a long, 3x18 inch rectangle. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar and pat it on to the edges.
Cut rectangle into 6 (3x3 inch) squares. Cut each square in half along the diagonal to create 12 triangles. Place scones on a lined baking sheet or plate and place in freezer for 30 minutes. (This step is optional, but the scones will bake better if you chill them.)
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425F. Bake your chilled scones for 16 minutes. Eat warm, cold, or immediately.
Mix together powdered sugar, cinnamon, and water. Drizzle over scones. For thicker icing, substitute 2 tablespoons milk for the water. Double the glaze if desired.
You could likely use up to half white whole wheat flour in this, but using more than that may make the scones dense or tough.
Don't have cinnamon chips? Use vanilla or butterscotch chips, or omit them entirely. If omitting them, increase the sugar and brown sugar each by 2 tablespoons; and make the glaze.
Handle the dough gently. Stir it with a fork only as much as necessary to get a dough to form, and pat it together and out lightly.
If using the glaze, reduce the brown sugar and cinnamon by ⅓ since you won't put it on top of the scones.
Not going to eat them all right now? Bake only what you'll eat. Separate the remaining unbaked scones, freeze them, and place them in a zipper bag. Bake them for 2-3 extra minutes directly from frozen - no thawing necessary.
This recipe is adapted from the Triple Cinnamon Scones recipe from King Arthur Flour.