Maple Scones from Modern Maple
"Over the years I’ve tried many methods to produce light, tender scones, including using cornstarch, rice flour, or potato flour to replace some of the all-purpose flour. A recipe from Fine Cooking magazine finally convinced me that a mix of all-purpose flour and cake flour is the way to go; the generous amount of butter doesn’t hurt, either. For the best texture, handle the dough as little as possible and pat it out by hand rather than using a rolling pin. Makes 8 scones."
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into V-inch cubes
- 3/8 teaspoon salt only if using unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries and/chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans about 2 ounces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup preferably grade B
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Position oven rack in the center of the oven; heat to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment; set aside.
- Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor; pulse a few times to mix. Add butter; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-size lumps, about 10 pulses.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. (Alternatively, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a mixing bowl, then cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-size lumps.) Stir in the cranberries and pecans. In measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk,syrup, and vanilla.
- Add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until everything is moistened; the dough will be sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a circle just under 1 inch thick; pat the edges with your hands until they are even and smooth, then cut into 8 wedges. Use a spatula to transfer the wedges individually to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them several inches apart. Sprinkle the sugar over the wedges.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden on the edges and bottoms. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving; serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Modern Maple by Teresa Marrone published by Minnesota Historical Society Press.
