Maple Scones

Sometimes there's nothing to do but bake. The baby is sick; I spent the morning making a list of adminstrative calls - accountants, and even more terrifying, a driving school. Roadsters of Provence, beware.

By three o'clock Augustin was back in bed, the essay I've been working on, for an anthology about the first year of marriage, remains a scattering of notes and unconnected thoughts, and I found myself browsing my cookbook shelves, hunting a recipe for scones.



Many people find baking soothing - not only the promise of a sweet reward, but the silent act of measuring, massaging, stirring, kneading, spooning. The repetitive glances into the mouth of a hot oven. It's the perfect something, when nothing else will do.

This recipe is adapted from the slim, thoroughly unpretentious Maple Syrup Cookbook by Ken Haedich, that I come back to again and again.


Maple Cream Scones

These don't have a particularly strong maple flavor, they simply use the syrup instead of sugar.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, diced
3/4 cup heavy cream (I use mostly creme fraiche topped up with a bit of milk)
1/4 cup maple syrup (I might add an extra tsp for sweetness)
Additional syrup and cream to finish
Crushed walnuts or sliced almonds to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchement paper.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add diced butter and rub together until the texture of coarse crumbs (I never quite get the crumb texture - I end up with some clumps and powder).
In a small bowl, combine cream and maple syrup. Make a well in the flour mixture, add the cream mixture, and stir with a fork until just combined. Like all biscuit dough - do not overmix! Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper, flatten to about 3/4 inch. Using a biscuit cutter or small glass, cut rounds 2-3 inches across - the little Chinese teacup I used was my father's.

Stir together a bit of maple syrup and cream, brush or spoon this mixture onto the top of the scones.

Bake for 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm from the oven with strawberry jam.

Makes 10 scones.