Maple Walnut Scones

Maple sugar is another one of the items that I picked up at Galloway's Fine Foods when in Vancouver this summer. A couple of weeks ago I set it out on the counter to remind myself to make something with it. I did some online searching but only found a couple of recipes that use this ingredient specifically, which was pretty disappointing. Along the way I did read that it is about twice as sweet as regular sugar so I figured I would find a recipe and just substitute. So I used my Everyday Food app and looked up scone recipes. One of the recipes that came up was Cranberry Scones (Dec 2003 issue) which I have made before. It looked like a good one to use. The recipe below is the recipe with my substitutions. There is a link at the end of the post for the original one.

Maple Walnut Scones
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3 tablespoons maple sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup half-and-half, plus 1 tablespoon for topping

(today I used whole milk because I had some leftover from another recipe)
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor bowl add flour, maple sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Add butter and walnuts. Pulse again to cut butter and walnuts into small pieces. Add milk and pulse until just combined.

2.On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times. Pat into a 1-inch-thick round. Brush top with remaining tablespoon milk; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon maple sugar. Cut into 8 wedges; place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

NOTES:

Link to original Cranberry Scones recipe
http://www.marthastewart.com/338474/cranberry-scones

RATINGS:
Heather - 10 - "Delicious"
Brad - 9.5 - "This is now the best scones you have ever made"
Herb and Donna (my in-laws) - 9.5 - "Really good"