Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Glazed Maple-Pecan Oatmeal Scones

Not only do I love scones, but I've had a recent infatuation with maple flavoring, so this seemed an instant hit.

Glazed Maple-Pecan Oatmeal Scones

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
       *I substituted the whole milk and heavy cream for 1/2 cup half and half
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups lower-protein unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for sprinkling (Omit the 1/3 cup sugar if maple syrup is very sweet)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp (1.25 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Glaze:
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1) Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the oats and pecans evenly on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they are fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper (or nonstick cooking spray). When the oats and pecans are cooled, measure out 2 Tbsp (for dusting the work surface) and set aside.

2) Whisk the milk, cream, egg, and maple syrup in a large measuring cup until incorporated; remove 1 Tbsp to a small bowl and reserve for pre-bake glazing.

3) Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until combined, about four 1-second pulses. Scatter the cold butter evenly over the dry ingredients and process until the mixture resembles course cornmeal, twelve to fourteen 1-second pulses. (A hand mixer will work fine as well) Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl; stir in the cooled oats and pecans. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Using your hands, gently knead the mixture in the bowl until the dough forms a cohesive mass.

4) Dust the work surface with half of the reserved oats and pecans, turn the dough onto the work surface, and dust the top with the remaining oats/pecans mix. Gently pat the dough into a 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or chef's knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges and set on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the reserved milk-egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool the scones on the baking sheet, set on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the scones to the rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

5) When the scones are cool, whisk the maple syrup and confectioner's sugar in a bowl until combined; drizzle the glaze over the scones.

Observations/Suggestions: First off, I used quick-cooking oats and felt that the consistency was just fine, no worries as to using the old-fashioned. Also, the half and half mixture was amazing because it cut costs and cut calories (we only use fat free half and half). My baking time for the scones was probably only about 10-11 minutes, so you may want to keep an eye on them in the final minutes. Lastly, the glaze was delicious, but horribly sticky. In fact, it never quite set up due to the maple syrup. Next time, I'll try using maple flavoring instead.

Recommended? Yes. I found them to be delicious (and impressive to our guests), but I did feel that the glaze was way too sticky. The consistency of the scone was just right because it was dense, but flaky. Delicious!

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