Vanilla Bean Scones

I have had scones on the brain for the past few weeks.

Maybe it was my low carb eating plan.

But, scones are delicious.

If the only scone you have had is from Starbucks, you have not had a scone, because theirs are frozen, then thawed, leaving them mealy and dry (just my opinion).

Fresh scones are where it's at.

SCONES
3 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, chilled
1 large egg
3/4 cups heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

GLAZE
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 whole vanilla bean
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla "caviar" inside. Stir caviar into cream and add vanilla extract. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Get all the dry ingredients in your food processor (or a big ole bowl, if you don’t have a processor) and pulse to combine.
Cut cold butter into pats, then pulse it in the food processor with the other ingredients or use a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbs.
Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture.
Ok, I’m just gonna quote the Pioneer woman on the rest of the preparation, because she made her scones more elegantly than I did:
“Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.
Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.
Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.”

VANILLA GLAZE
To make the glaze, split the remaining vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the innards. Stir it into the milk, and allow it to sit for awhile.
Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.
One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour.



These were so good-not too sweet and not too biscuit-y. They just perfectly melted in your mouth.

We had a surprise birthday tea for my sweet aunt yesterday and out of something like 40 scones, these were the remains:


Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.