Maple Walnut Scone

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (177 g) walnut halves, toasted and divided
• 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 cup (119 ml) buttermilk, cold
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1 Tablespoon maple extract

For the Top of the Scones

• 2 Tablespoons whipping cream
• coarse sugar
• toasted walnut halves (from above)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, toast walnuts on medium to low heat until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Chop walnuts into small pieces and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Add butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add 3/4 cup of the chopped walnuts (reserve the rest for the tops). Set aside.
6. In a small bowl whisk buttermilk, maple syrup, egg and maple extract together. Pour into the flour mixture and using a fork, mix the dough just until the dough starts to come together and is ragged.
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; gently bring the dough together and fold over itself being careful not to overwork the dough. Pat the dough out to a circle approx. 1 1/2 inches thick.
8. Using a large round cookie cutter (approx. 2 1/2 inches in diameter), cut out 6-8 scones. Gently piece scraps together to make extra scones.
9. Place scones approx. 2-3 inches apart on your prepared baking sheet (they will spread).
10. Pop the scones into the freezer for 8-10 minutes.
11. Then brush the tops of the scones with whipping cream and sprinkle with the reserved chopped walnuts and coarse sugar.
12. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden and the bottoms are browned.
13. Serve scones warm with butter, clotted cream and or jam.

NOTES

Your dough should not be so wet that you can't handle it. This can happen if the flour measurement is off. Add extra flour if this happens, but be careful not to overmix the dough as it can cause tough scones.

Store cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a preheated oven at 300 ?F for approx. 8 minutes or until warm.

Variations

Add a Maple Glaze: For a sweeter version add a drizzle of maple glaze to the tops of the scones. Simply mix icing sugar with a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup and a splash of milk until smooth. Omit the coarse sugar and pour over the cooled scones.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8

Thank you Alie Romano for the recipe. Discover expert tips and techniques for Maple Walnut Scones at Baking For Friends.