Brown Butter Pecan Scones
Fluffy, buttery and flaky, these scones are infused with brown butter, loaded with toasted pecans, and drizzled in absolutely no shortage of brown butter icing!
Ingredients
Brown Butter:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter*
Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces brown butter, diced and very cold
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk, for brushing scones
Brown Butter Icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons brown butter (about 20 grams)
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Brown Butter:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it’ll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma. Once browned and nutty, remove from the heat. Pour into a shallow bowl (for quicker cooling), and place in the freezer until chilled solid.
Make the Dough:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Dice cold brown butter into small pieces, and add to the flour mixture. Add the cream cheese. Then use a fork or pastry blender to cut the brown butter and cream cheese into the flour. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream, sour cream, egg, and vanilla together until combined. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula until dough comes together. You might need to use your hands to mix the rest of the loose flour into the dough. Toss in the chopped pecans, stirring to evenly distribute.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Laminate the dough by shaping it into a rectangle. Fold it in half, press it down slightly, then turn the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again. Repeat this process 2-3 more times before shaping the dough into an 8-inch disc that's about 1.5 inches tall. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice into 8 even wedges. Place them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.**
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush scones with milk or cream. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. If scones start to get too brown, tent a sheet of aluminum foil over them. Remove scones from the oven and allow to cool at least 5 minutes before drizzling icing on top.
Make the Icing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, brown butter, cream, vanilla, and salt together until smooth. Drizzle icing over scones. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*By the time you've finished browning the butter, you should end up with about 135 grams.
**Scones can chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, brush them with cream, and bake.
***Scones are best when served fresh on the day they're baked. Leftover scones keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Reheat scones in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.