Oatmeal Maple Scones with Glaze - Gluten Free or Non (You Choose)

After my last email I have had many requests for this scone recipe, which I am very excited to share - it's gotten rave reviews from everyone whose tasted these scones, including me! 

Years ago I went to a small local cafe and had a delicious scone made with oatmeal and maple syrup. I've been trying to duplicate it for ages and am finally satisfied with my results. The wonderful thing is this recipe can so easily be made gluten free or regular. I've been gluten free for eight years now owing to an allergy and have slowly reclaimed all my old baking recipes and made them on either side of the gluten fence. 

When it comes to baking, I am old fashioned. I don't use a kitchen aid style mixer. I rarely use a hand mixer. Some few recipes, like chocolate mousse, do need electrical appliances such as a hand mixer. Generally, I feel that mixing by hand lends to the taste of home made goodness, and is also an active meditation. 

My mother was an amazing cook and baker. My grandmother was an extraordinary baker. She made her own pie crusts that were a true delight. Cheesecakes so rich and delicious they tasted like they were from a fine gourmet bakery.

Somehow I didn't absorb one iota of my mother's cooking skill. Perhaps because she never asked for help! But my grandmother and I would sit at the kitchen table together for hours and I would watch her every move, helping out where I could and where I was asked. So when I place an apron over my head and tie the strings at the back, I think of those days, with flour on my face, happy in the midst of pure ingredients like eggs, butter, flour, vanilla, sugar and molasses. 

To make scones, you will need a few kitchen items that not everyone has in their cupboards. Most can be found at stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target or Walmart:

• A pastry cutter / mixer tool.
• A pastry cloth.
• A rolling pin and cloth cover for it.
• Circular cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out the scones. 

Ingredients for Scones:

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• (to make this gluten free I simply substituted 4 1/2 cups of "Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour" for the two flours above)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats (gluten free oats are available in most super markets - oats are not gluten containing by nature but they are often harvested with wheat)
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 lb cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 extra large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash

Ingredients for Maple Glaze:

• 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. In a large bowl, stir flour, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt together until combined
2. Blend the cold butter into the flour mixture with the pastry cutter. Eventually the butter will be cut down into pea sized pieces within the mix and you will be done with this step.
3. Combine the cold buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and stir together with a whisk. Add to the flour butter mix and stir just until blended. 
4. Prepare your pastry cloth by coating it lightly with flour. Same for your rolling pin cover. This will prevent your dough from sticking to the surfaces.
5. Flour your hands and dump the dough onto the prepared pastry cloth. I usually split the dough in half and do this in two batches. Roll your dough to approximately 1" thick. You will see lumps of butter in the dough - that is as it should be - no worries! Cut the dough into rounds with a cookie cutter - 3" is good but use whatever you have. Don't twist the cutter as that breaks the bonds on the edges - just cut and remove upwards. Place the cut rounds onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
6. Brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are crisp and the inside is done. (after I am done I cook up a small scrambled egg for my dogs with the leftover egg wash - waste not, want not!)
7. For the glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and vanilla into a soupy glaze. When scones are done, allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes on wire racks lined with more parchment paper (parchment keeps the glaze from dripping on to your counter). Drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. Add some oats on top for garnish. 

Scones are best served with hot tea or coffee, accompanied by room temperature butter and your favorite jams. Enjoy!!