Guest Post: Mini Vanilla Bean Scones
I'm so excited to introduce my sweet friend Ali, who is visiting today from her beautiful blog Sous Chef Baby to bring us a delicious recipe for mini vanilla bean scones! I'll let her tell the rest;)
"I met Sarah my first year at FIT and we quickly became friends and partners on almost all of our projects for the next 2 years. It is no surprise that we both enjoy the style of each other's blogs, we always had very similar taste when it came to design.
My blog started little over a year ago as a place to share my love for cooking and baking with family and friends. With a new baby, I was eager to share recipes that could easily be turned into healthy baby food. Now with a toddler, I am happy to share any kid friendly meals and snacks, along with a large variety of different recipes.
Halfway through the first year of my blog I was diagnosed with Celiac disease and I have to be on a Gluten Free Diet the rest of my life. However, not all of my recipes are gluten free. Many of the recipes I share, I have tasted and enjoyed years before I was on a GF diet. Any new recipes that I cannot enjoy myself are tested and approved by my husband Tom, daughter Layla, and extended family and friends.
Now on to the recipe...at this point in the year I am over the cold weather with all of its hearty stews, soups and heavy winter dishes. I am looking forward to all of the refreshing flavors of spring. Easter and Passover are around the corner and I am thinking about seasonal recipes to serve at all my family get togethers. Now that I am a "grownup" with my own home, I have taken on Easter Brunch as my holiday. There is something about brunch that makes me happy. A hot cup of coffee, french toast, muffins, scones, eggs, bacon, honey baked ham...so comforting.
When the guests arrive and I am getting the hot food ready for the buffet I like to have muffins, biscuits or scones already on the table for everyone to enjoy. It is a very relaxed feeling during the day, people can come and go as they please or stay morning 'till night at our house (which many do).
This year I am going to serve mini vanilla bean scones with whipped cream and jam. These scones are a cross between a classic scone and a biscuit. They pair great with any flavor of fruit preserves with whipped cream, or they can be enjoyed simply with some butter. If you have the time, I would reheat these in the oven quickly before serving so your company can enjoy them warm."
"After brunch is over we break out the ham sandwiches later in the afternoon, and I like to have dessert for anyone who stays long enough to enjoy it. I like to keep dessert refreshing after a day of eating. This year I am going to make this recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream Cake.
I hope you enjoy these recipes and have a great Easter and Passover. -Ali"
Mini Vanilla Bean Scones (recipe from The Afternoon Tea Collection cookbook)
Makes 16
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups self rising flour (to make your own self rising flour each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt)
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1 ounce (1/4 stick) butter, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
3/4 fruit preserves- flavor of choice
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a (9-inch) square cake pan. You can line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
2. Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl; cut in butter with pastry cutter or rub in with hands.
3. Combine milk and water in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds into the milk mixture; discard bean.
4. Add milk mixture to flour; use a pastry cutter or knife to cut milk mixture into flour mixture to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead gently until smooth.
5. Press dough into a 8 inch square, cut into 16 squares using a floured knife. Place squares, just touching, in pan. Brush scones with a little extra milk.
6. Bake scones for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. Meanwhile, beat the cream and 1 tbsp of confectioner sugar in electric mixer until soft peaks form.
8. Sandwich warm scones with jam and cream. Dust with extra confectioners sugar. Enjoy!
Makes 16
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups self rising flour (to make your own self rising flour each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt)
1 tbsp superfine sugar
1 ounce (1/4 stick) butter, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
3/4 fruit preserves- flavor of choice
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a (9-inch) square cake pan. You can line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
2. Sift flour and sugar into a large bowl; cut in butter with pastry cutter or rub in with hands.
3. Combine milk and water in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds into the milk mixture; discard bean.
4. Add milk mixture to flour; use a pastry cutter or knife to cut milk mixture into flour mixture to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead gently until smooth.
5. Press dough into a 8 inch square, cut into 16 squares using a floured knife. Place squares, just touching, in pan. Brush scones with a little extra milk.
6. Bake scones for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. Meanwhile, beat the cream and 1 tbsp of confectioner sugar in electric mixer until soft peaks form.
8. Sandwich warm scones with jam and cream. Dust with extra confectioners sugar. Enjoy!
Thank you Ali, for sharing this lovely recipe with us, I know I can't wait to try it!
Be sure to pop over to Sous Chef Baby, and check out all of Ali's other delicious recipes!
XO
Happy to share a recipe with your readers. Hope they all enjoy
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