Vanilla Bean Scones

You may be asking yourself (or me) "didn't you just make scones a few weeks ago?". Well, I did, but I love scones and I have been wanting to try this version for a while. I am totally obsessed with those mini vanilla bean scones at Starbucks and even though they are pretty inexpensive (75 cents per scone), I wanted to see if I could at least try to find a way to replicate this recipe if and when Starbucks decides to discontinue those bad boys. I have a bajillion vanilla beans so I thought this would be a good use for one. I based this recipe on the pomegranate cream scones I made a few weeks ago. Instead of doing a vanilla bean icing a la Starbucks, I just brushed the tops of the scones with cream and gave them a pretty liberal sprinkling of vanilla sugar. These turned out really well. I OD'ed a little on the cream in the scone recipe (used a little more than what I wrote) because my dough wasn't coming together. Instead of staying in the lovely triangles I cut them into, the scones looked more like question marks, but the flavor was really similar to the Starbucks version. Also, I don't feel guilty about eating these because I know exactly what went into them. Although, with the few cents I am saving, I may be picking up a Cinnamon Dolce Latte one of these weekends...

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Vanilla Bean Scones

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
Vanilla sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, vanilla beans, and the cream together with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a round, about 1-inch thick. Cut into equal sized wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.