Breakfast Scones

I whipped up a batch of these today for a special Valentine's Day breakfast. I must say that I had a smile on my face as I plated two adorable heart shaped scones to deliver to Jesse as he lay nice and warm in our bed. As much as they were a labor of love for my sweet valentine, they were also a gift to myself.

I was inspired to make these last week while we were in California. Jesse's ten-year-old niece Evie made these scones for breakfast. They were totally awesome! I loved the idea of being able to make a wide variety of goodies with just one recipe. It fit my personal motto perfectly, "Eat what you crave."

This morning, I wanted something nutty, hearty, and covered in syrup, so I threw some oatmeal into mine and made some maple glaze to drizzle over the top. Yumo! Absolutely hit the spot. Whilst in Cali, the blueberry ones with white chocolate ganache were awesome! Probably my favorite. The cranberry orange with the orange glaze were also a hit. The chocolate chip ones were average to me, but maybe it was because they needed some sort of addition. I am certain that a chocolate ganache would do the trick. Honestly though, every single flavor turned out beautifully.

In my humble opinion, you should make these for someone you love immediately, and yes that includes yourself! Just make sure you have a pantry full of things to throw in. I guarantee that this recipe will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Additions:

Blueberry: 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh

Orange Cranberry: 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon orange zest

Chocolate chip: 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Vanilla: Pulp of 1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients. With your clean hands, a pastry blender, or two forks, cut in 5 tablespoons cold butter. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold your favorite additions into the batter. Form a rectangle about 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Cut the rectangle in half, then cut the pieces in half again, giving you 4 squares. Cut the squares in half on a diagonal to create triangles. If you want to be fancy, you can carefully roll them out on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter to create shaped dough. Place the scones on a ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply a topping.

Toppings:

Chocolate Ganache:

1 bag chocolate chips (white for white chocolate ganache or milk chocolate for chocolate ganache)

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Pour the bag of chips into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it barely starts to bubble. Once bubbles show up, pour cream over chips and allow 3-5 minutes for the cream to melt the chips. Whisk until smooth. If lumpy, microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk smooth. If lumpiness is a recurring problem, chop the chips into smaller pieces before adding the cream. Either allow the ganache to thicken on the counter, or cool in the fridge for 8-10 minutes to speed the process. Drizzle over the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Orange Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Zest of 1 orange

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Mix the orange juice and powdered sugar together in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange zest and butter. Microwave for 30 seconds; whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let is set a minute before serving.

Tips:

1 vanilla bean is equal to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

You can buy a whole pound of vanilla beans for $12 at www.vanillaproductsusa.com. At the store you can usually get two beans for $12. Can you say RIP OFF!