Our family has been big into maple syrup since we were given The Little House Picture Book Treasury two Christmases ago. Sugar Snow remains one of our most requested stories and we are counting down to our county’s Maple Sugaring Days at the end of this month. So when I started thinking about a recipe to share with you this winter, the idea for these maple flavored scones popped into my head immediately. Spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, these glazed scones are the perfect baked treat to whip up and enjoy with tea on a snowy winter’s day.

Maple-Cardamom Glazed Scones

Ingredients

3.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ tsp cardamom

½ tsp cinnamon

¾ cups of salted butter, cold

1 cup milk (I used oat milk)

⅓ cup maple syrup

½ tsp of maple extract

For glaze:

1 cup of confectioners sugar

1 pinch of salt

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ teaspoon maple extract

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ tsp cardamom

2 tbsp milk (I used oat milk)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom and cinnamon. Whisk until well blended.
Grate cold butter into the bowl, using the large holed size of a cheese grater. Mix with a spatula as you go to prevent clumps. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture has a coarse crumb texture.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk, maple syrup and maple extract.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces.
Pat each piece of dough into a circle about ¾” in thickness
Use a pastry cutter, sharp knife, or pizza cutter to divide each circle into eight wedges
Transfer the wedges to a lightly greased baking sheet.
Optional: Let scones chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for a more crumbly texture.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make glaze, simply mix sugar, salt, maple syrup and maple extract in a small bowl, stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones and they are ready to serve!

Note: The colder the butter is, the easier it is to grate. Putting the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start helps. Alternatively, you can dice the butter and rub it into the dough with your finger until a coarse crumb texture is achieved.