Back to postsMatcha White Chocolate Scones (Your New Weekend Ritual)

Matcha White Chocolate Scones (Your New Weekend Ritual)

I have a theory: scones don't get the respect they deserve because most people have only had bad ones. Dry, crumbly, flavorless hockey pucks masquerading as pastry. Those aren't scones. Those are disappointments shaped like triangles.



REAL scones are buttery, tender, slightly crisp on the outside, and soft enough that they almost fall apart when you pull them open. These matcha white chocolate scones are exactly that, plus the earthy bitterness of matcha and the sweet creaminess of white chocolate. They are INCREDIBLE with a cup of tea.



About the Matcha



Please — PLEASE — use good matcha. Not the $5 bag from the regular grocery store that tastes like lawn clippings. You want culinary-grade matcha from a Japanese brand. It should be bright green, not olive or brownish. It should smell grassy and sweet, not bitter and dusty. This matters. I tested this recipe with cheap matcha and good matcha, and the difference is night and day.



Ingredients




  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

  • ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 2 tablespoons culinary-grade matcha powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup (113g) very cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • ½ cup (120ml) cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¾ cup (120g) white chocolate chunks



The Method



The secret to great scones: COLD EVERYTHING. Cold butter. Cold cream. If it's a hot day, put your flour in the freezer for 10 minutes. I'm serious. Cold fat = steam pockets in the oven = flaky layers.



Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, matcha, and salt. (Sift the matcha through a fine sieve first to break up clumps — matcha is notorious for clumping.)



Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Those butter pieces are your future flaky layers. Don't obliterate them.



Whisk cream, egg, and vanilla together. Pour into the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until it BARELY comes together — it should look shaggy and underdone. Fold in white chocolate chunks.



Turn onto a floured surface. Pat (don't roll!) into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush tops with cream. Sprinkle a tiny bit of extra matcha powder on top if you're feeling fancy.



Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes. Golden edges, slightly soft center. Let them cool for 5 minutes (if you can wait that long).



What Went Wrong?




  • Dense/heavy: Overworked the dough. Treat it like you're handling something fragile, because you are.

  • No matcha flavor: Bad matcha. Upgrade your powder.

  • Too sweet: Cut the sugar to ¼ cup. The white chocolate adds sweetness too.

  • Flat/no rise: Check your baking powder's expiration date. Old baking powder = no lift.



I make these almost every Saturday morning now. My kitchen smells like a Japanese tea house mixed with a French bakery, and honestly? That's my happy place.