mmm honey

I didn’t appreciate how wonderful honey could be until I got older. What else goes well with tea? And smeared on toast with peanut butter? Nothing but honey.

So what else could I have turned to when it was storming outside and I was in dire need of a baked good? Nothing but honey would do.

I quickly turned to my baking bible and found this recipe for honey nut scones. I was sold with the first glance and read-through of the ingredients.

More homey and hearty, this scone isn’t as sweet as others but that’s why I liked it. Next time, I would add more honey, but that’s just me and my sweet tooth talking. I didn’t use whole wheat flour, and instead swapped all purpose flour in. Sometimes wheat flour can be too dry, too tough. And just plain. So I left it out. But if you yearn for more a healthier, waist-friendly scone, I suppose you could use it. Next time, I’d lower the baking time from 20 minutes to about 15 because mine got a little brown on the bottom. I didn’t mine their brown bottoms, but the scone’s texture changed overnight and became a bit dry.

I nibbbled on them straight out of the oven with a nice dollop of apricot jam, and snuggled up to my daily dose of Regis & Kelly, and I could’ve sworn that I was in heaven.

Honey Nut Scones- makes 12 scones
from Baking: from my home to yours

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup cold whole milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

2. Stir the egg, honey, and milk together.

3. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in butter and using fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between- and that’s just right.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together. Don’t overdo it. Stir in the chopped walnuts.

5. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place on the baking sheet. Bake scones for almost 20 minutes, or until the tops are deeply golden and firm-ish to the touch.

6. Transfer to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.