My own Cinnamon Scones

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I made these for breakfast this morning and they were delicious and flaky.  It was my turn to make something for Sunday school treats and our church has been on a Blue Zone kick, trying to bring in healthier options instead of donuts.  Even though these had minimum sweetness  kids and adults ate them up!  I know the title of the post says cinnamon scones which is confusing since the recipe says different but trust me and keep reading...

New Hampshire Maple-Walnut Scones
KAF Baking Companion


3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter or shortening (or a combo)
1 cup finely chopped and toasted walnuts
1 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp maple flavoring

Preheat the oven to 425*F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in the butter or shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in the walnuts.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, 1/3 cup of the maple syrup, and the maple flavoring.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until you've formed a very soft dough.

Flour your work surface generously and scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the floured surface.  Divide the dough in half.

Working with one half at a time, gently pat the dough into a 7-in circle about 7/8 inch thick.  Transfer the circle to a parchment-lined or lightly greased cookie sheet or other flat pan; it will be very soft, and if you have a giant spatula, it's the tool of choice here.  Repeat with the remaining dough, placing it in a separate pan.

Using a sharp knife or rolling pizza wheel, dived each dough circle into eight wedges.  Gently separate the wedges so that they're almost touching in the center, but are spaced about an inch apart at the edges.  Pierce the tops of the scones with fork tines and brush them with remaining maple syrup.

Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with any remaining maple syrup. Wait a few minutes and then gently separate scones and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, with jam or maple syrup butter.

Adaption:

This was the recipe I really wanted to make except I didn't have walnuts and our maple syrup jug was 'bout empty plus it was 10:30 pm.  At that point you have to improvise.  Last week I'd made this scrumptious  cinnamon sugar syrup (The Sisters Cafe) for fun.  I still had some left and I used that instead of the maple syrup in the recipe and in the poked holes.  I replaced the walnuts with golden raisins which provided a little natural sweetness.  My flour was also a mixture of KAF unbleached and whole wheat.

I made only one batch of these but cut those nice wedges into half again and it made plenty for about 30 people.  I easily made them in about an hour's time including baking.  Even though it kept me up late it was worth the compliments from both young and old.

Yes, you may ask why I was concocting this so late...and the answer would be busy, busy day.  We worked a charity event at a local restaurant from 12:30-4:30 came home and ate dinner quickly with kids, kissed them again and then headed to our local university's theatre to usher for The Merchant of Venice (Beach) a revised Shakespearean drama.  Today we saw another play, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, at the children's theatre my husband used to run.  I'd not seen this, one of my favorite children's books, brought to life and it was excellent.  We had several young friends starring and it lit a fire in Groovy Girl's belly to try out for next year's season.

While I've been typing this post out my sweet son downloaded a Grateful Dead album onto my computer and I've been grooving to Sugar Magnolia-he just made my day as I discovered I can sing the lyrics out with his awesome headphones on which make me feel like I'm in the band.  Of course I cleared the room also!  

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking post.  Click her link to find many other food-related posts from all over the globe.  The scones in the photo above look delicious also and closely resemble mine.  I found the photo at Jenny Steffens Hobick's website Everyday Occasions and will have to make them the next time I need a perfect breakfast treat.