maple pecan scones.

this time we picked sunday morning. recipe #2.

the day was greeted with maple pecan scones. they were absolutely perfect and delectable. again to mimic all the sentiments from the lemon scones post only swap in maple flavour. i was prepared this time for the messy half-time show but that was not so much the case here. i definitely swapped ingredients around here to make them work for us as we are more pecan rather than walnut people - and as mentioned in an earlier post, i had pecans on hand and didn't want to buy a whole bag of walnuts solely for this.

they were not the husbands favorite - he preferred the lemon - but i loved these and will definitely be making them again!

maple pecan scones - adapted from baked: new frontiers in baking.
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubbed and chilled
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk + 1/4 cup
2 taspoons maple extract - i used clubhouse.
1 cup toasted pecans
1/4 cup raw sugar (i used organic sugar cane)

preheat oven to 350 degrees f. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. whish until combined.

add the butter. use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized.

in a seperate bowl, whisk together the egg, 1 cup of the buttermilk, and the maple extract. slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together. add the pecans to the dough and knead gently to incorporate. move the dough to a lightly floured surface. use your hands to shape the dough into two disks (about 1 1/2 inches in height). do not overwork the dough.

cut each disk into 6 wedges. place wedges onto the prepared baking sheet. brush each scone with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with the raw sugar (i had some of both of these left over). bake in the center of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time) or until the scones are golden brown. (i wish i had done mine to 35 minutes to get a real nice golden, crunchy sugar top - next time!)

transfer the scones to a cooling rack; they can be served slightly warm or completely cooled.

for the maple glaze

1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons plus two teaspoons maple syrup

to glaze the scones:
line a baking sheet with parchment paper. place the wire rack with the cooled scones over the baking sheet.
whisk togeether the sugar and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth - i added a touch of water as mine with too thick. slowly pour the glaze over each scone in a zigzag pattern.
allow the glaze to set (about 10 minutes) and serve immediately.

scones can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. (our were fine for 4 days then they were gone - poof!)