I love a good piece of biscotti or scone with my morning coffee, and every since I discovered Starbuck's Petit Vanilla Scones I just can't get enough. While I still grab a few when I stop into a store, I still like to have my own supply. So, I came up with this recipe that is just as good IMO, if not better than the original ; )
Feast your eyes on the final results... YUM : )
Here's what you'll need:
For the scones
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cups of sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks of chilled unsalted butter
1 large egg
3/4 cups of heavy cream
Vanilla caviar from one vanilla bean (or substitute with vanilla paste, as the beans are quite expensive)
For the glaze
5 cups of powdered sugar
Vanilla caviar from one vanilla bean
1/2 cup of half & half (or whole milk)
Dash of salt
To make the scones
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split one vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the caviar. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for a few minutes. So... this container had only 2 vanilla beans in it and it cost $14!! I didn't notice a difference in taste when I used vanilla bean paste instead and you can still achieve some of look (the brown specks that makes it look natural and delicious). You could save a lot by just using vanilla paste, but I don't recommend vanilla extract as a substitution, as it's just not the same IMO.
Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 5 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cut the two sticks of cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.
Add the vanilla caviar to 3/4 c heavy cream, then add the egg and whisk. Combine with flour mixture; whisk until mixed thoroughly.
Put dough onto a floured surface and lightly press and roll into rectangle that's about 1/2 niche thick. The mixture will be crumbly and so be patient. Then, cut the rectangle into squares and then the squares into triangles by cutting them diagonally. Somehow I forgot to take pics of this step for now, so I will add asap as I make these quite often!!
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place triangles onto sheet, and bake for 15-17 minutes or so (keep an eye on them as it may vary from oven to oven. You'll want to remove from the oven just before they start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
YUM Factor: Vanilla Glaze
As mentioned above, you'll need the following for the glaze:
5 cups of powdered sugar
Vanilla caviar from one vanilla bean
1/2 cup of half & half (or whole milk)
Dash of salt
To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar, as you did above. Measure 5 cups of powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/2 cups of half & half and the vanilla. You may need to add more powdered sugar or half & half to get the right consistency/thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.
Once completely cooled, dunk each scone (one at a time) into the glaze. I like to only coat the top. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and allow the glaze to dry for about 30 minutes or more, until completely set. Scones will keep several days and can be frozen for months. When I make a full batch, I will leave a few out and freeze the rest. Then I will put one out of the freeze whenever I want one as they don't need hardly any time to thaw.
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