Maple Oatmeal Scones

Scones hold a special place in my heart because I remember how much my mom loved them. She liked to make them on Christmas morning when I was young, so scones always make me think of her.

Since I’m in the middle of my two weeks of finals, I’ve had a lot more time at home than normal. As a result, I’ve been cooking and baking to relieve stress during my study breaks. I made these last night and they were a great breakfast before my three hour exam this morning.

This recipe is from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. As is usually the case with Ina, the original recipe yields A LOT of food. I halved it and still got 8 very large scones out of my batch. One variation Ina suggests in her book is to add 3/4 cup of raisins, and I may try that next time. These are delicious!

Maple Oatmeal Scones
(this recipe has been halved)
yield: 7-8 scones

Ingredients:
Scones:
1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. quick cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ lb. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced
¼ c. cold buttermilk
¼ c. pure maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tsbp. water for egg washGlaze:
½ c. + 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼ c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend in the cold butter with an electric mixer on the lowest speed and mix until butter is in pea-sized pieces. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.) Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just well blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough onto a well floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾ to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. Sprinkle with some uncooked oats for garnish.