Today was one of those days when it really pays off to be a baker. I saw this recipe on the New York Times Food Instagram account earlier this week and thought it sounded like a good Fall breakfast. When I opened it and looked through the ingredients, I was pleased to find out I wouldn’t even have to go to the store to bake it – everything was in my pantry! When some friends asked what I was baking this weekend and I told them how excited I was that it was a recipe where you’d have everything already on hand, they laughed and said that maybe I would have everything on hand, but normal people wouldn’t.

Oh well – just meant I got to make myself scones this morning in under 30 minutes. Maybe if everyone kept a solid variety of baking ingredients around, there would be fewer people telling me that they love reading this blog but never bake anything from it…

Anyways, however you come by the ingredients, these come together fast and have me firmly over my fear of scones.

First, in a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the pecans (or walnuts, if that’s more your jam – I just make banana bread with pecans so always have them around). Stir in the egg and maple syrup. And make sure you’re using real maple syrup. Maybe it’s a New England thing that I grew up on real maple syrup (and therefore have it around), but there really isn’t a substitute on this one. Add one or two tablespoons of milk, just until the dough comes together to form a ball. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead lightly, rolling in flour if necessary. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and flatten into an 8 inch disk. Cut into 8 wedges, but don’t separate. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet immediately and separate on wire rack.

As they cool, these will harden into hardy little scones, well equipped to be dipped in coffee or slathered in butter.  I didn’t wait – still warm, these made for a pretty great breakfast, as I’d hoped. Store at room temperature covered.

Enjoy!

Maple Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Stir in pecans.
4. Stir in maple syrup and egg.
5. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk, as needed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and forms a ball.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly, turning in flour as necessary.
7. Flatten dough into an 8 inch disk on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.
8. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
9. Remove immediately from baking sheet and separate on wire rack to cool.