As I've mentioned several times before, my daughter Caroline has an egg allergy. She's actually allergic to several things, but that's the only food allergy (that we know of). I know that I should be glad that it's not deadly, and that she is otherwise very happy and healthy, but to be completely honest, it makes me really sad sometimes. Like when we go to a birthday party and all the other kids are eating cake, and she's eating the graham cracker that I brought along for her. Or when she doesn't get to eat the fun snacks at preschool, and just eats her boring goldfish. Last week was "circus week" at school, and when I asked what she had for a snack, she told me that she had her crackers, but that her friends had "cupcakes shaped like clowns." Luckily, she understands that "eggs can make her sick," but I still feel a little tug at my heart when she misses out. I know it's not the end of the world that she doesn't get the occasional cupcake (first world problems, right?), but I hate that she is limited and restricted, and that she'll probably feel left out as she gets older. We are having her retested next month, so we're cautiously optimistic that she's outgrown it, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.
In any case, when I make things like these scones, it almost makes me forget about her allergy - they are naturally egg free! And insanely delicious, at that. I used the base recipe from these blueberry scones, and adapted it to my liking - adding a vanilla bean, some vanilla extract, and vanilla Greek yogurt - triple the vanilla flavor! I also decreased the salt a bit and added a little more sugar. I had originally planned to top these with a vanilla glaze, but after tasting them, it definitely wasn't necessary. Not to sound overly effusive, but these are easily the best scones I've ever made. I know that vanilla may sound boring, but they are light and fluffy, buttery, perfectly sweet, and the best part is the crispy top and bottom. They are brushed with butter and sprinkled with sugar before baking, and the sugar caramelizes a bit. So perfect. This recipe makes eight scones, and I'm very embarrassed to admit that I probably ate five of them over the course of three days....
Possibly the best part about making these scones was letting Caroline help me, and then taste one. She loved it, and it was so nice to allow her the special treat. When I make things like this, it doesn't make her allergy seem so bad.
Vanilla Bean Scones
adapted from these Blueberry Scones, which are from America's Test Kitchen
makes 8 scones
- 8 Tablespoons cold butter, plus more for brushing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped out
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425, and combine the dry ingredients. Stir in frozen butter. Whisk together the vanilla bean, yogurt, vanilla extract, and whole milk, and stir into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until just combined. The dough will be crumbly, but that's okay.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface, and knead a few times until it forms a ball. Roll out into a 12x12 inch square. Using a bench scraper, fold the dough into thirds, then fold into thirds again in the opposite direction to form a square. Place on the parchment-lined plate, and freeze for 5 minutes.
Roll out to a 12x12 inch square again. Carefully roll up, as you would cinnamon rolls. Press the roll into a 4-inch wide rectangle. Using the bench scraper, cut into 4 equal-sized rectangles. Then cut each rectangle diagonally to make 2 triangles.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. At this point the scones can be baked or refrigerated overnight. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until golden-brown.
