Maple cinnamon scones and whipped cream

12/06/16 09:16 Filed in: Dessert | Traditional | Vegetarian

Maple Cinnamon Scone-served


One of the greatest pleasures in life is tea and scones — the lightly sweet buttery crumbliness of these traditional cakes is proof that there’s a reason classics endure. But how do you improve on a time-tested winner?

A recent meal at McCambridge’s in Dublin provided the answer for me. My breakfast was served with fresh maple syrup and I realized maple and cinnamon would blend perfectly into a scone, so I created my own version. Along the way, the concept of maple cinnamon whipped cream seemed to fit the bill for an accompaniment and I set about putting it all together.

Ingredients (makes one cake)

For the scones

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon + more for sprinkling
  • ⅓ cup currants
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter
  • Scant ½ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup minus 1 teaspoon real maple syrup + more syrup for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon table sugar

For the whipped cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

For the scones
Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in currants.

Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and maple syrup and stir until the mixture forms a soft, sticky dough that clings together. With wet hands to prevent sticking, form the mixture into a ball and pat into an 8-inch round on prepared baking sheet. Cut into 8 wedges and sprinkle with teaspoon of table sugar.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. About 7-8 minutes into baking, carefully line the edges of the cake with tin foil to prevent burning. Maple syrup browns more quickly than sugar, so keep a close watch.

For the whipped cream
Chill a high edged bowl in the freezer. After a few minutes, place whipping cream into bowl and beat at high speed using an electric hand mixer until the cream starts to thicken. Add the syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon and continue whipping to desired consistency.

Serving
The scones may need to be recut after baking. Drizzle maple syrup on a plate, place a scone on top, dollop a spoonful of whipped cream next to it and sprinkle the plate with cinnamon. Scones served warm are delightful, but room temperature is nothing to scowl at.

Storing note
The scones will keep for up to a week in the fridge if they last that long. If you have leftover whipped cream, dollop individual servings onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then place into a freezer bag for longer term storage. (Try it on top of hot chocolate.)

Scone dry ingredients
The mixture with butter cut in.

Maple Cinnamon Scone-raw
Ready to bake.

Maple cinnamon scone-baked
Out of the oven.