Petite Maple Nut Scones

This weekend my older sister had her first baby shower. It was such a sweet time to watch her with her friends, several of which are due within a month of her, and to be reminded of the providence and love of our God.

Lauren's baby is already so loved! And with SIX aunts, baby boy Smalley is undoubtedly going to be seriously spoiled...

These scones really are best dipped in coffee!

We served brunch for the shower, and it was fun making things to add to the table. Below is the recipe for the Maple Nut Scones I made, which seemed to be a hit. The original recipe is from one of my favorites, The Pioneer Woman, and her recipes are usually so good, I don't make many changes!

Petite Maple Nut Scones

NOTE: I used half of the icing originally in the recipe and dipped the scones in the icing rather than pouring it on top. Below is the amount I used, but if you want a lot of extra icing, double the amounts listed below!

What you will need:
For the scones:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, chilled
1/3 cup pecans, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream

For the maple icing:
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1/8 cup whole milk (add more milk if you want a thinner icing)
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick) salted butter, melted
1 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Using a nut grinder, finely chop the pecans and stir them into the flour mixture. 


Mix the egg and cream together. Add the mixture to the bowl and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.


Turn the mixture onto a cutting board. The dough will be very crumbly. With your hands, push the mixture together into a large ball. Do not knead or press too much; you want to leave that gluten alone!

With a rolling pin, very gently roll out the dough into a 12 x 7 inch rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into even squares, and then cut each square in half to make a triangle.

Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake the scones for 10 minutes, until they're just barely starting to brown. Do not allow the edges to become dark. Allow the scones to cool completely before icing.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir the icing ingredients until smooth. Dip the top of each scone in the icing and allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Allow the icing to set before serving.

No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Sometimes you just need a quick dessert to take to a party. Or a sweet snack after dinner. And it's best if that something is utterly delicious and everyone thinks you spent much longer preparing it than you actually did. Try these no bake peanut butter bars the next time that is your criteria. They are embarrassingly easy but totally addicting!

No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
What you will need:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter (melted)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

How to make it:
Stir the graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, powdered sugar and melted butter in a large bowl until well combined. Press peanut butter mixture into a greased 8x8 pan.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each. Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, stir in the vegetable oil. Spread the chocolate chips over the peanut butter mixture in an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.