maple-oaty scones.

maple-oaty scones
adapted from smitten kitchen


yield: i got 18 eensy-triangles, perfect for each person having about two. deb from smitten kitchen got 8 of the 2-in. rounds

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (the recipe called for 1 3/4 c. a-p and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, but i didn't have whole wheat on hand. i'm sure they'd be even tastier with the ww flour!)
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 very heaped T. baking powder
1 very heaped T. sugar
1/2 t. table salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. buttermilk (regular milk is fine, too)
1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

preheat your oven to 400°f (200°c). butter a baking sheet and set aside.
whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. i put the butter in a bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes or so after cutting it up, to make sure it was cold (like you'd do with butter for a pie crust or other pastry dough). with a pastry blender or your fingers (don't use a food processor, as it will grind up the oats), work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. in another small bowl, mix together the milk and syrup, then pour into the butter-flour mixture. mix it all together (it's easiest to use your hands on this step - don't forget to take off the rings and put them in a safe place!) until it becomes a soft dough. you can add more buttermilk if you need, but the dough shouldn't be sticky at all.

 
flour a silicone baking mat or clean, smooth countertop (i don't have one of those, so i used the former!) and pat or roll the dough until it is 1 1/4 in. tall. i formed it into a square shape, cut it into 9 equal pieces, and cut each of those mini squares on a diagonal to make eensy-triangles. you could also do as deb over at smitten kitchen does, and use a 2-in. round cutter. place the cut scones on the prepared baking sheet, half an inch apart or so. brush the tops with the beaten egg (for the yummy brown color at the end!) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the scones are lightly golden. mine were done perfectly right on the 20-minute mark, so be sure to set the timer for 18-20 minutes and check them before letting them stay for any longer than that!

 
serve them warm, if you can... and they don't last longer than a day. plan accordingly! either halve the recipe, or HAVE an excuse to eat a couple more! c'mon, they're tiny!

"all sorrows are less with bread." - miguel de cervantes (don quixote)  i'd venture to say that scones would be substitutable for bread, in this case.