Vanilla Coffee Scones

Recipe Adapted from Bake From Scratch

Ingredients

For scones:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, frozen
• ¼ cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Paste or Butter-Vanilla Emulsion. (Like LorAnn Oils)

For Coffee glaze:

• 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) strong brewed coffee, room temperature

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the sugar, baking powder, salt and espresso powder and stir together lightly with a fork. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the coffee with the vanilla and set aside.

Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the butter directly into the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center, and pour in the wet ingredients. Use a large fork and a large rubber spatula to stir the mixture together. If it seems a little dry you may add additional milk until it forms a shaggy dough.

Sprinkle a pastry mat, wooden cutting board or wax paper with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and pat a few times with your hands until it loosely holds together. (Don’t knead it too much or the warmth in your palms will melt the butter and cause the scones to be tough.)

Pat and roll the dough into a rectangle. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the rectangle in half, legnth-wise. Stack one half on top of the other, and use a rolling pin to gently roll it into one rectangle. Repeat this process 2-3 more times, sprinkling the surface with flour if it gets too sticky, before patting it into one final rectangle.

Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and unwrap the scone dough out onto it. Use a bench scraper or very sharp knife to trim the edges of the rectangle. Cut the remaining dough into squares.

Remove the cut scones to a baking sheet you’ve lined with parchment paper, rather close to each other (it will help them rise higher). Spray the tops with PAM cooking spray, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Bake until scones are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

While scones are baking, combine ingredients for Coffee glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle scones with Coffee Glaze, and allow to sit until the glaze is set.