Maple Oatmeal Scones

The soil in my garden was finally just dry enough to be tilled, so my wonderful husband tilled in order for me to start a new strawberry patch and plant my early spring seeds – parsnips, leeks, carrots, spinach, kale and sweet peas. I will make a run to the garden center tomorrow for some plants to add some swiss chard, broccoli and cauliflower (and whatever else strikes my fancy).

For now, I am content having fresh local eggs to use in my baking. In honor of the sap flowing season, I made Ina Garten’s Maple Oatmeal Scones. I love her baked goods recipes, and these were probably my favorite thing of hers I have made so far.

Since it is only the 3 of us at home right now, I halved the recipe (and we still have plenty of scones – 9 to be exact). I am including the full recipe here, but it is very easily halved.

Maple-Oatmeal Scones

From Ina Garten

For the Scones:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats (the recipe called for quick-cooking, I use old-fashioned and they worked fine)

2 Tbsp baking powder

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp salt

1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

4 eggs, lightly beaten (locally raised)

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp milk or water, for egg wash

For the Glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup pure maple sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-size pieces.

Combine the buttermilk, syrup and eggs.

Add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture, mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1” thick. You should see lumps of butter int he dough.

Cut into 3-inch rounds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup ad vanilla.

When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes and drizzle each scone with 1 Tbsp of the glaze. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.