Don’t have time to make a Mardi Gras King Cake? A quicker, festive take on the traditional cake, these layered scones are stuffed with a sweet almond and espresso filling before being finished with vanilla glaze and brightly colored sugars.
To make the filling: Whisk together the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, and Instant ClearJel.
Add the milk and almond extract and stir until smooth. Set aside; the mixture will thicken a bit as it sits.
To make the dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, and extracts. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until evenly moistened.
To shape: Grease the wells of a standard scone pan. (To make without a scone pan see "tips," below.) Place two tablespoons of the dough into each well of the pan and pat to cover the bottom. Spread a rounded tablespoon of the filling on top. Spread the remaining dough over the filling, using your wet fingers or a small offset spatula to cover the filling completely.
Refrigerate the scones for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
To bake: Bake the scones for 30 to 33 minutes, until they’re golden brown and a paring knife inserted into the center of the top layer comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out of the pan onto a serving plate.
To make the glaze: Stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough of the cream to make a glaze thin enough to brush. Brush the tops of the warm scones with the glaze, and sprinkle with colored sugar while the glaze is still soft and tacky.
Store any leftover scones, well wrapped, at room temperature for a day or so; freeze for longer storage.
Instant ClearJel, available online from a number of sources, is critical to the scones’ filling; it holds it together during baking and gives it body after. We don’t recommend substituting a different thickener.
To bake without a scone pan: Line an 8” round cake pan with plastic wrap. Put half the scone dough into the pan and spread it evenly with a small spatula. Spread the filling over the dough.
On a floured piece of parchment, roll the remaining dough into an 8” circle. Use the parchment to settle the dough over the filling in the pan, patting it down gently. Place the unbaked scones in the freezer for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
When you’re ready to bake, place a piece of parchment over the scones in the pan, then a baking sheet atop the parchment. Flip everything over, remove the cake pan, and peel off the plastic. Using a sharp knife or bench knife, divide the dough into eight equal wedges. Pull each wedge back from the center 1/2" to give the individual scones some breathing room. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes, until the scones are golden brown. Remove the scones from the oven, transfer them to a rack, let them cool for 10 minutes, then glaze as directed above.
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