Maple Pecan Scones

Buttery, flaky scones with toasted pecans and a maple glaze.

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time1 hr
Yield8 scones
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Before You Start

Scones live or die on how cold the butter is. Frozen and grated is the easiest way to get it right, because you never have to touch it with warm hands. Toast the pecans first, otherwise they taste faintly of nothing once they're buried in dough.

Instructions

0 of 6 done

  1. Toast the pecans in a dry pan for 4 minutes until they smell nutty, then chop and cool. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.

  2. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Grate the frozen butter straight into the bowl and toss it through with your fingertips, quickly.

  3. Whisk the cream, egg and ¼ cup maple syrup together, hold back 2 tablespoons for brushing, and pour the rest into the flour. Add the pecans.

  4. Stir with a knife until it clumps, then tip onto the counter and press it together into a 2.5 cm thick round. Don't knead it, just press.

  5. Cut into 8 wedges, space them on a lined tray and chill for 20 minutes. Cold dough hitting a hot oven is what makes them rise tall.

  6. Brush the tops with the reserved liquid and bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden. Cool, then drizzle over the powdered sugar whisked with 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

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💡 Baker's tips

  • Cut straight down with a sharp knife. Twisting or dragging seals the edges and the scones rise lopsided.
  • If the dough feels sticky, that's fine. Add flour to your hands, not to the bowl, or you'll end up with dry scones.

🔀 Make it your own

  • Add ½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries with the pecans for a festive version.
  • Swap maple for golden syrup and the pecans for walnuts, which is cheaper and just as good.

📦 Storing & freezing

Best on the day they're baked. After that, store airtight for 2 days and warm for 5 minutes at 160°C. Unbaked wedges freeze for 2 months and bake from frozen with 4 extra minutes.

❓ Frequently asked

How many grams is a cup of pecans?

About 110 g per US cup chopped, so the ¾ cup here is roughly 83 g. Toasting drives off a little moisture, so weigh them before.

Why are my scones flat?

Usually warm butter, or dough that was overworked. Grating frozen butter and chilling the shaped wedges before baking fixes both problems.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.

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