Maple Pecan Scones
Prior to making these, the last scones I had were this past March. Those scones weren’t my favorite but they were part of an even bigger overall experience – my first afternoon high tea, my first trip to London and my first time ever traveling alone.
I got to London early on a Thursday morning and after napping off my jetlag, afternoon tea at the Brown’s hotel was my first scheduled activity. I was excited but incredibly paranoid. I couldn’t shake the feeling that other guests were wondering why the heck I was sitting there by myself sipping on champagne while waiting for tea. (Oh yes, traditional afternoon tea was not enough, I had to go all the way and add the bubbles.)
Because I could only page through my London guide book but for so long, I wanted to chat with those sitting around me. However, I was still unsure as to how I was going to answer the inevitable “are you here alone” question. Was my travel buddy sick? Or was my husband at stuck at work or at a conference? Or was I waiting for friends? (I’ll save you some of my other crazier explanations.)
Yet all it took was a smile and hello to those at the table next to me – which turned out to be a mother and son from China who were seeing each other for the first time since the son left China 15 years ago – and the rest was history. What proceeded was tons of chatter, laughter and a good dose of nodding (to mom that is because she only spoke Chinese). We asked each other questions, he spoke about London, I spoke about New York and all of my “fears” were forgotten for a while. He gave me his phone number and offered to take me around London to see the sites. The rest of my stay was quite busy so I never got around to calling him. But I thank him and his kind mother for helping me come out of my shell and keeping me company during the first part of what turned out to be one of the most amazing trips I have ever taken.
I thought of the scones I enjoyed that afternoon while I made these. And while the one’s at Brown’s will always hold a special place in my heart, these maple pecan scones taste a zillion times better. They have great a spicy maple flavor that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Awesome crunch from pecans. And the secret ingredient – orange zest – which brightens them up and makes you say, “Hmmm – what is that?”
These are perfect enough for me to recreate Brown’s Hotel high afternoon tea in my own home. Minus the paranoia.
And don’t forget that tomorrow (Thursday) is the last day to enter my cookbook giveaway.
Maple Pecan Scones
Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrupDirections:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like fine meal.
Add the pecans and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue to mix until the mixture is just moistened. (Do not overmix or the scones will be tough.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it to form a rectangle. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into small squares. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and brush with buttermilk. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Mix the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth and drizzle over each scone.
Share
Rosa — July 27, 2011 @ 3:25 pm
Delicious looking scones! A droolworthy treat. I am a sucker for icing and nuts…
Cheers,
Rosa
naomi — July 27, 2011 @ 4:02 pm
This look fantastic! Did you enjoy London? I hope you blog more about it. I’d love to read what you thought and of course ate!
vanillasugarblog — July 27, 2011 @ 4:26 pm
i love that you travel alone.
it is fun when you have a safe place to stay and money in your pocket to SHOP!
love the icing on here chica!
Ed — July 27, 2011 @ 5:31 pm
Great story and pictures!
JulieD — July 27, 2011 @ 7:33 pm
I love your story…what an amazing moment to be a part of, a mother and son reunion. I can’t imagine. Can you believe I have never made scones before? I want to try yours!
Becki (Becki's Whole Life) — July 27, 2011 @ 10:19 pm
These sound delicous! I love the maple pecan combo – thanks for sharing this recipe.
Brian @ A Thought For Food — July 27, 2011 @ 11:01 pm
These scones look marvelous! Oh how I wish I could share a batch with you!
Emme @Food Samba — July 28, 2011 @ 1:47 am
Que delicia! Looks amazing, flakey, and just plain bad for my diet! xoxo
Joanne — July 28, 2011 @ 5:35 am
I’d be pretty paranoid also, so know it’s not just you! But I’m so glad the trip turned out to be so amazing…it’s given me hope that someday I’ll have the courage to travel alone!
And the scones sound amazing. Makes me wonder why I don’t make scones more often…
William Casper — July 28, 2011 @ 9:12 am
I wouldn’t mind having a few of those to accompany my cup of coffee this morning. You always make the food looks so good.
Kim — July 28, 2011 @ 9:18 am
YUMM! And what a lovely experience to share. It’s amazing how much you can learn from traveling on your own!
Jackie — July 28, 2011 @ 10:57 am
I’ve never had a scone…Looks delicious though. Now I want one..LOL
J
rebecca — July 28, 2011 @ 12:03 pm
great scones and sweet people you had tea with love London my bro lives there and I am from the UK
Rebecca
CookiePie — July 28, 2011 @ 12:18 pm
What a great story! And maple-pecan scones, YUM. You had me at maple!! Delicious!
Baking is my Zen — July 28, 2011 @ 1:10 pm
Scones for breakfast…great way to start the day. Great story of communicating with the mom & son
Carmen
Laz — July 28, 2011 @ 1:51 pm
Agreed. The orange zest is a smart addition.
Bravo!
Coco Cooks — July 28, 2011 @ 2:13 pm
Nothing like the perfect scone and wonderful tea to go with. Maple is one of my favorite baking flavors.
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride — July 28, 2011 @ 2:32 pm
Yum! These will be great for when the weather cools down!
Hungry Sofia — July 28, 2011 @ 4:16 pm
I wish I was at afternoon tea right now!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes — July 28, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
Meeting new, wonderful people is one of my favorite things about traveling too. So glad it was a great experience for you and that these fabulous scones brought back such great memories.
luvnspoonfuls — July 28, 2011 @ 11:14 pm
Wow…I have a cinnamon scone recipe that is my ‘go to’ recipe for scones, but I love maple and pecans, so I think I will try this version as well. Lovely blog and photos!
dani — July 29, 2011 @ 10:11 am
glad u had a great time! and those scones sound great
The Duo Dishes-Chrystal — July 29, 2011 @ 6:14 pm
Traveling alone is one of the best things you can do at least once in your life. You learn a lot about yourself when you have time to be alone in a new place. Plus, you can meet even more people! Delicious scones!
Sanura @ MyLifeRunsOnFood.com — July 29, 2011 @ 10:19 pm
Baking with maple syrup and pecans… are one of my favorite flavor combination. These scones look so warm and comforting, especially the icing.
Bren — July 30, 2011 @ 12:05 am
hey chica… love this… sabes que Beyonce va publicar en libro de cocina pero hace poco dijo en tv que ni sabia lo que es un scone!!!! sacrilege!! love these! i’ll have a bake set ready for you when you come visit me in Oct
xo
Emily — July 30, 2011 @ 4:20 pm
Mmm these sound awesome! Perfect with a little tea (and champagne).
Paris Pastry — July 31, 2011 @ 4:33 am
What a lovely story
It’s amazing how you can meet people with such interesting life paths on vacation. I see London has inspired you to make scones 
They are quite fabulous, aren’t they?
Lori — July 31, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
Love hearing about your travels! It’s tough to beat scones from the UK or Ireland, but you have done an outstanding job of recreating these. They look so good!
Velva — July 31, 2011 @ 3:58 pm
Eliana, these maple scones are delightful.
When you step out of your comfort zone, you can have experiences that are memorable. I love that you traveled to London. I love the experience of enjoying being part of a special moment between mother and son. Awesome.
Velva
A plum by any other name — July 31, 2011 @ 9:36 pm
I think it’s so awesome you traveled by yourself! I’ve been wanting to make scones for the past few weeks and this might be just the push I need to make some!
Kerstin — July 31, 2011 @ 11:00 pm
It’s awesome you took a trip by yourself! I’m forced to do it for work conferences sometimes and it can be awkward but you do end up meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise! And the scones look amazing, of course
Hannah@ Bake Five — August 1, 2011 @ 9:25 am
that sounds lovely, mother and son. (: Glad you had a good time with yourself and London! And these scones…mmmmm!
Islandia Lane — August 3, 2011 @ 5:13 pm
These look delish!