Recipe Review: Petite Vanilla Bean Scones

(photo and recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com)

If you or your kids love the petite vanilla scones from Starbucks, you are going to go bonkers for this little gem of a recipe I found from none other than The Pioneer Woman. They are easy, delightful and the perfect (less expensive) swap for the real-deal at Starbucks!

MY THOUGHTS: This recipe really came together nicely and was easy to follow. I ended up getting my vanilla beans at World Market because their spices are so much more inexpensive than the grocery store. So, for two vanilla beans it only cost $2.99 versus the nearly $8 at the local grocery store! I also swapped the whole milk and cream for a lower-fat 1%. I still thought they tasted great.

I've made two batches so far. With the first, I was in a hurry, so I didn't let the bean and milk mixture sit as suggested and I could definitely tell the difference when making the second batch and I took my time. The vanilla flavor was much more noticeable.

Also, I didn't have unsalted butter on hand, only salted, so I just left out the salt called for in the recipe. No problems there.

These freeze wonderfully.

DIFFICULTY: Easy

MAKE-AGAIN: Yum. And, I already have. :)

Below is the recipe directly from The Pioneer Woman's website.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• SCONES
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 Pound) UNSALTED Butter, Chilled
• 1 whole Large Egg
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream (more If Needed)
• 2 whole Vanilla Beans
• GLAZE
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• 1 whole Vanilla Bean
• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

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. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.

Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.

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 icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow 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. Scones will keep several days if glazed.