But when my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night and my mind started racing, there was no way I could fall asleep again. So I went to the living room and worked on a few gumpaste flowers I hadn't had a chance to finish when I realized that I *did* have time to bake.
I didn't have any butter that was soft enough to cream, and I didn't want to use the mixer and wake up the rest of my family, but I remembered that my colleague had asked for vanilla bean scones with vanilla glaze that Starbucks used to make but apparently no longer sells.
Scones are very doable in the middle of the night. Ingredients have to be straight out of the fridge cold, no noisy equipment... So no time for a birthday cake, but birthday scones did happen! And the birthday boy was very happy!
They came together pretty quickly, but I had to add extra cream because the mixture was a little dry. I had to work the dough much more than I wanted to so that I could form 4 circles, then cut each into 8 wedges. I was scared that they would come out tough from all the handling, but they we absolutely fine. Delicate and melt in your mouth tender.
They are very, very vanilla-y though, and the glaze is really sweet. I think next time I would cut back on the vanilla beans (use one instead of two) in the dough. The glaze is a must though. You're eating a scone with a sugary glaze on it... of course it's going to be sweet!
Mini Vanilla Bean Scones
recipe source : the pionneer woman
Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, chilled
1 large egg
3/4 cups heavy cream (more if needed)
2 whole vanilla beans
Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, chilled
1 large egg
3/4 cups heavy cream (more if needed)
2 whole vanilla beans
5 cups sowdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup whole milk, more if needed for thinning
1 whole vanilla bean
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla seeds inside. Stir seeds 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 seeds. Stir seeds 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.
1/2 cup whole milk, more if needed for thinning
1 whole vanilla bean
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla seeds inside. Stir seeds 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 seeds. Stir seeds 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.
Love this! Thank you for the post. :) I just included a link to you in my Vanilla Bean Roundup post!
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