Friday, July 27, 2012

Vanilla Scones


      I love scones. They are one of my favorite breakfast foods. They are buttery but not too heavy like pancakes. I always regret eating pancakes in the morning. They always seem like a good idea, but as soon as I am done I feel sick. These scones are the perfect balance of sweet but not too sweet. I really like the petite vanilla scones from Starbucks, but I thought instead of going there I could make my own! This recipe is super simple and made easier by using a pre-made scone mix. You could make the scones from scratch, but I wanted to do the fast version. These scones could be a breakfast treat, or even an after dinner dessert!

Ingredients
1 Cup of sugar 
2 Vanilla beans
1 Tbs of butter
3 Tsp of vanilla extract
3 Tbs of milk (or soymilk)

Instructions
1.) Follow the directions on the back of the scone mix (set oven to 425 degrees F). When the mix is almost a complete batter consistency, add the seeds from one whole vanilla bean to the batter and stir (cut down the center and scrape the inside with a spoon to get the seeds). Also, add 1 1/2 Tsp of vanilla extract to the batter and stir.
2.) Just as the directions on the back of the scone box say, put the dough on a floured counter top or board and knead the dough for a few minutes.
3.) Next, break the dough up into small balls that are slightly flat on the top. Cut each ball into four pieces (like a pie). The pieces should be about 2 1/2 inches long.
4.) Lay the scone slices on a cooking sheet. I lined mine with foil to make clean up easier, but parchment paper would also work or a buttered pan. 
5.) Cook the scone for around 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. While the scones are cooking, make the vanilla glaze. Add 1 cup of sugar to a medium pot on a stove top set to medium heat (normal sugar or powdered sugar works). Add 1 Tbs of butter, 3 Tbs of milk (or soymilk), the seeds from the second vanilla bean, and 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract to the sugar in the pan. Heat and stir the glaze until is thickens and forms a shiny sauce. Put the glaze on low heat until ready to dip the scones, then when dipping, place the glaze in a bowl. 
6.) After the scones are finished baking, allow them to cool to room temperature. Then, dip the tops of each of the scones into the glaze and place back on a baking sheet to cool and harden. I put my scones in the fridge for a little bit so the tops were hard. Enjoy!


Theses scones go great with coffee or tea on slow Sunday mornings!



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