Maple Oat Scones
Honestly, I have no good explanation as to why I have not shared this recipe with you sooner. Hands down, this is my all-time favorite scone. Its absence from my blog was brought to my attention by my sweet niece Coco. Coco called me recently asking me if I could give her my recipe for the oat scones I always make. I told her it should be available among my blog recipes and she could print it right from there. She scoured my recipe index and alerted me to the fact that it wasn’t there. I knew I had to remedy that immediately.
I can’t put my finger on which aspect of these scones make them so special. It probably isn’t any one ingredient. I think it might be the combination of flavors that make it so satisfying. Chewy oats and crunchy nuts, together with the whole grain depth of flavor delivered by the oat flour, make for a nutritious and wholesome sweet biscuit. A slathering drizzle of maple glaze might knock it down a rung on the healthy foods ladder, but I say “go for it” – or not. Either way, I’ll bet you a cup of coffee that you won’t be disappointed.
Feel free to change this scone to suit your tastes and to accommodate the ingredients in your pantry. I have made it with whole wheat flour with equally satisfying results. Add walnuts in place of the pecans, and if you are a currant or raisin lover, add a handful along with the nuts.
Maple Oat Scones
Scones
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Glaze
1/4 cup maple syrup, at room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon half and half, or milk, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)
Additional oats for decorating if desired.
Scones: Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and mix (using the paddle attachment) on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed until it is the size of small peas, about 4 minutes. Mix in the pecans. Pour the cream and the buttermilk into the center of the bowl and mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Allow the batter to stand in the bowl for at least 10 minutes.
Place the dough on a generously floured rolling surface. Pat it into a 2-inch thick rectangle and generously dust the top with flour. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half, short ends together, and roll it out again until it is 1-inch thick. (I find a bench scraper to be very useful for this purpose.) Repeat this process two more times, and on the final time, roll the dough into a 6 by 12 by 1-1/4 inches thick rectangle.
Note: You will find a need to re-flour your surface and rolling pin often throughout the rolling process. The additional flour will not compromise the finished product.)
Dip a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter into flour and cut out rounds from the dough. Place the scones on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. Re-roll the scraps and cut additional scones.
Brush the tops and sides of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a rich, golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. While still slightly warm, drizzle with Maple Glaze. Sprinkle with oats if desired.
Maple Glaze: While the scones are baking, prepare the glaze.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and maple syrup until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and salt and whisk until combined and smooth. Add the half and half and whisk until completely combined. If too thick, add additional half and half to reach desired consistency. Add the maple flavoring and whisk to combine.
Yield: 14 scones
Source: Adapted from The Cheese Board Collective Works
Boomarked! They look delicious and I am so glad you were alerted to its absence! 🙂
Thanks Nazia!
Oh, yummy! I love scones. I will try them soon.
Thanks Nicole!
Oh I couldn’t live (LOL) without my bench scraper! And I’m not sure I can live without trying your compelling Maple Oat Scones! A perfect treat for the first days of autumn!
I use my bench scraper for everything. Hum? that might make for a great post. Anyway, as always Deb, thanks for your kind words.
I love everything about this post, from the pictures to the recipe, and having a niece that bakes! Oats and scones are two of my weaknesses, maybe you made them just for me?! lol
Thanks Paula for your kind words.
Now these look like a magnificent treat with a cup of coffee or tea! And, I can`t get over how beautiful these photos are!
Thanks for the compliment Lynna. It certainly gives a boost of confidence.
My husband’s favorite scones are those with maple and oats. A few years ago for his birthday, I scoured the internet for them and made him a knockoff Starbucks scone. It was nowhere nearly as pretty as what you have here. Rolled oats are now on my grocery list so I can make these for him!
Question: Do you normally stock buttermilk or do you sub sometimes with milk/lemon juice?
Also, I plan to whiz my oats in a food processor to make oat flour. Is that appropriate?
[K]
Kim, I almost always have buttermilk in my fridge. I also keep powdered buttermilk on hand just in case. I rarely go the milk and lemon juice route, although it is a tried and true method. As far as whizzing oats in the processor to make oat flour – I have done that but not in this particular recipe. If you try it, please let me know how the scones turn out.
Many belated thanks for posting this recipe. I think I have made these 4 times, and Coco has made them regularly for her art class. As a matter of fact, we are about to whip up a bunch for her class – they are having an end-of-the-year tea party. I will have to sneak one off the plate before she takes them. I truly love these- sweet, but not too, oaty in a lovely way. Perfect for mornings o r snacks.
I think it is safe to say that they have become a family favorite. By the way, once baked, they freeze beautifully. As if leftovers are ever a problem with this scone. 😉
Coco has made these about three or four times since you published the recipe. It is a favorite with her art class. These are my favorite scones, ever. We usually don’t have buttermilk (finished the powdered), so lately we have taken to the lemon juice /milk method. While it is fine, I prefer to use buttermilk. We also spin the oats in the Cuisinart. Seems to be just as tasty.
Coco was just going to make these for art again, but we decided to try the cinnamon bun scones. While they are delish, I like these more. Thanks for publishing!
The cinnamon scones are fabulous, but I too prefer the oat.