One of our favorite flavor combos — toasted pecans and pure maple syrup! Mix it all up in a beautiful scone, glaze with maple syrup icing and you have a breakfast hit. ☕️ Toasting nuts not only makes them crunchier and enhances the flavor, but the aroma is heavenly. Always toast the nuts!!!
Scones are such a treat and we love them with a bit of a shortbread texture, so they are nice and crispy on the edges, but soft in the middle. Because we practically run a bed and breakfast for friends and family at our Idaho cabin during the summer, these scones usually greet each group of guests at least one morning during their stay. We have eight different scone recipes on our website, including a savory bacon and Gruyere cheese scone, which is sooooo delicious!
Scones freeze very well, so you can make a double batch in advance, freeze them and reheat them or serve at room temp when you’re ready to eat them. You can freeze them with or without the icing, but be sure to let the icing harden before you bag them up for freezing. If you choose to ice them later, that’s fine too, and maybe even easier for storing them.
Maple & Toasted Pecan Scones
Ingredients
Scones:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 6 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4 oz. butter, chilled and cut into small 1/2-inch pieces. (8 tbsp. or 1 stick, or 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (can use half and half, or milk in place of heavy cream – your choice)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups toasted pecan pieces, divided
Maple-Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425⁰. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry cutter, or your fingertips, cut butter into flour mixture until well blended and butter is reduced to tiny pea-size pieces. Stir 3/4 cup of the toasted pecans. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pecans for topping the scones after you ice them.
- In a glass measuring cup mix cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. With a large fork or spoon, stir cream into the flour-butter mixture. Blend well. Form into a ball, and on a floured cutting board, press the ball into a flat circle with your hands. The circle should be about 10-inches in diameter and roughly one-inch thick.
- Using a long knife, cut the dough into 12 even triangles and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Or, if you prefer larger scones, cut the circle into 6 or 8 even triangles.
- Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 12-14 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before icing.
- * To toast the pecans, put them in the oven or toaster oven at about 325° F for approximately 5-7 minutes, or just until fragrant and beginning to look slightly browned. Be sure to set a timer and keep your eye on them, because the timing from perfect to burned is very short! I cannot tell you have many batches of nuts I have burned!!! You can buy a whole bag from Costco and toast them all at one time, while you have time to focus and then store them for later use. They are awesome in salads, topping soups, or eating all by themselves for snacking!
Make the Icing
- While the scones are baking, it’s time to make the icing. Simply blend the sifted powered sugar with the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla using a whisk or fork. If it’s too runny, add a little more sugar, and if it’s too thick, then add more milk, a tiny bit at a time!
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled scones with a whisk and then top with the remaining toasted pecan pieces. Reheat to serve, or serve at room temp. These scones store very well in the refrigerator or freezer, but just let the icing harden before you wrap them up to freeze.
Notes
