Carrot Cake Scones

I’m seriously in love with scones at the moment, it’s becoming an obsession – have you noticed?

When I’m not searching for new stripey tops, watching Friends repeats (and still laughing) or thinking about what to have for dinner, I’m mostly thinking about scones and what I can do with them next. It’s been mostly about cheese scones to eat with soup recently but my sweet tooth was tingling and I wasn’t in the mood for a fruit scone.

AND THEN – people started talking about Carrot Cake. I love Carrot Cake but I have little reason to make a carrot cake for blogging purposes. The Leith‘s recipe I blogged 2 years ago, is still one of my most popular posts and then there is the Kitchen Sink Bundt Carrot Cake from Joy the Baker that I baked last year. I could’ve made cupcakes but to be honest I’m a little over cupcakes. I don’t begrudge anyone else for loving cupcakes and I’m not going to be a bore and bang on about them being last season and Macarons are the new cupcake because I don’t believe that. But my current feelings toward cupcakes right now, is that I could take em or leave em.

AND THEN the penny dropped – combine scones and carrot cake and I’d be laughing.

I took Smitten Kitchen’s recent Buttermilk Biscuits recipe (because I trust her to have perfected them) combine the flavours of the Leith’s Carrot Cake, used Pecans instead of walnuts, because Pecans are AMAZE. Decreased the amount of Buttermilk as the carrots would add moisture, added a bit more flour as I’d initially added too much buttermilk and then grated in some nutmeg. Oh and THEN, I brushed the tops with a mixture of milk & maple syrup (and drank what I didn’t use) You know, because Maple Syrup is the perfect partner to Pecans EVERYTHING. And if you might be missing the cheese, I stirred some maple syrup into some cream cheese and smeared that on them once bake.

Life in my kitchen right now is pretty awesome.

Carrot Cake Scones
makes 11 6cm scones
(let’s not talk about their pro points value)

330g / 11.6oz plain flour
2 tsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarb of soda
¾ tsp salt
1½ tsp cinnamon
¼ freshly grated nutmeg
125g / 4.4oz unsalted butter, chilled & cubed
200g / 7oz grated carrots
85g / 3oz chopped pecans
100ml buttermilk

to top – milk & maple syrup

to serve – cream cheese & maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 200°c / 400°f / gas mark 6

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg.

Using your fingertips rub the flour mixture with the butter – until it forms coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the carrots, nuts and buttermilk and using your hands (or spoon) mix together until a dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, knead gently and pat out so it’s about an inch thick.

Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out scones and place them an inch apart on a lined baking tray.

Mix a tiny bit of milk with some maple syrup and brush the tops.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until they are risen and golden.

Cool slightly, probably best served warm but the flavours seem to improve the next day – if you want them warm just pop them in the oven at 200°c for a few minutes.

I served mine with a little cream cheese mixed with more maple syrup – sinful but worth it!