Mmmm.. breakfast. The best meal of the day. Any time of the day.

Last night, I finally made it back to the Cooking Club for AFIT Spouses. The theme was breakfast, so I decided to make these Maple Pecan Scones. The recipes is basically the Maple Walnut Scone recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.. but with pecans and a few tiny changes.

The scones were great both warm and cool, a good patch for tea or a snack on the go. The original recipe makes only 12 scones, but I made 16 and they were still pretty huge! They’re only 210 calories, which isn’t too bad for a morning treat.

Maple Pecan Scones
(based on Maple Walnut Scones from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
-makes 16 scones

For the scones:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus 2-3 tbs.
2 tsp maple extract
1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 tbs sugar, for topping

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tbs maple syrup
milk, for thinning

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and the maple extract. Slowly pour wet into dry, and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together. Add the nuts and knead until incorporated. Don’t overwork the dough. Split the dough into two parts, then gently shape them into two flat squares, about 1- 1 1/2 inches in height.
4. Cut each large square into four small squares, then into eight triangles. Place the wedges onto the baking sheet. Brush each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
5. Mix sugar and syrup in a small bowl. Add milk, teaspoons at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle or spread over scones. Let cool completely.