Cinnamon Walnut Scones with Streusel Topping

Cinnamon Walnut Scones with Streusel Topping

So, confession time: I was supposed to chill last night. Work week? Officially long. But, you know me, the oven was calling! I needed something easy, something comforting.

Scones! Always a winner.

My brain was all "cinnamon!" but I also had a bag of walnuts. A quick Google search later, and BAM! Ladyberd's Kitchen, from 2010, popped up with a cinnamon walnut scone recipe.

Honestly, the recipe was a breeze. And the result? Seriously delicious. Fluffy, and perfectly spiced. I'm writing this on Saturday morning, and let's that just say someone has already gone back for a second round. I guess "just a little bake" turned into a full-on scone success! If you're craving something easy and cozy, you NEED to try these! Big thanks to Ladyberd's Kitchen for the perfect recipe!

I did make a couple of changes to the recipe.

1. After mixing the topping, I put it in the fridge until ready to use.

2. I did not use all the topping. I froze what I had left over.

3. I used a lamination method of folding over the dough after mixing it together. More on that after the recipe.

4. I put the prepared scones in the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking.

Cinnamon Walnut Scones with Streusel Topping

Here is the recipe from Ladyberd's Kitchen

Cinnamon-Walnut Streusel

Streusel Ingredients-

3/4 cup unsifted bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, sieved if lumpy

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

Thoroughly combine the flour, cinnamon, light brown sugar, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl.

Scatter over the butter chunks and drizzle over the vanilla extract. 

Using a pastry blender or two round-bladed table knives, cut the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until reduced to marble-size bits.

Scatter over the chopped walnuts and mix them in.

With your fingertips work the mixture util moist clumps of streusel are formed, pressing and crumbling it into large and small lumps.

Cinnamon Walnut Scone Dough

Scone Ingredients-

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsifted bleached all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 pound (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

1 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method-

Preheat oven to 400F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. 

Drop in the chunks of butter. Using a pastry blender or two round-bladed table knives, cut the fat into the flour until reduced to small nuggets. 

Further crumble the mixture between your fingertips for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Mix in the chopped walnuts.

Whisk the heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl. 

Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and combine to form the beginnings of a dough using a sturdy wooden spoon or flat wooden spatula.

Knead the dough together in the bowl with your hands until it forms a firm dough, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Do not over mix the dough.

If the dough is too dry,

you can add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream.

Turn out the dough onto a very lightly floured work surface, divide in half, and pat each piece into a 6 - 6 1/2 inch round cake. 

Fold the dough over itself, typically in thirds, like folding a letter.  

FOLLOW THE DOUGH LAMINATION METHOD FOUND AT THE END OF THIS RECIPE.

With a chef's knife, cut each cake into five wedges or whatever shape you like. I like small rectangles.

Press some of the streusel topping on top of each triangle of dough, pat it down with your fingertips or the palm of your hand, dividing the topping evenly among all of the scones. 

If you do not use all the topping, freeze the leftovers for the next time you make this recipe!

Place the scones on parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 3 1/2 inches apart. 

DO NOT CROWD THE SCONES.

Bake the scones for 15 - 17 minutes, or until risen and set.

Transfer the scones to cooling racks. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Laminating Dough

The Dough Lamination technique creates layers within the dough, resulting in a flakier, lighter texture.

Purpose:

The goal is to create thin layers of dough separated by pockets of butter. 

As the scones bake, the butter melts and releases steam, which lifts and separates the layers, leading to a flaky result.  

Method:

After the initial dough is mixed, it's gently pressed or rolled into a rough rectangle.

Then, the dough is folded over itself, typically in thirds, like folding a letter.  

The dough is then turned 90 degrees, and the folding process is repeated.  

This folding and turning action is done several times, creating those distinct layers.  

It is very important to keep the butter cold, so that it does not melt into the dough.

Result:

This lamination process distributes the butter evenly throughout the dough, creating those desirable flaky layers in the baked scones.

It's a simple technique of folding and turning that significantly improves the texture of the final product.