Mini Vanilla Scones (Inspired by Starbucks Vanilla Bean Scones)

Facebook is so weird and so cool. It’s really neat to connect with folks from the past – so many high school classmates are my “friends,” and I’ve so enjoyed catching up with them.

One gal graduated a year after I did. She’s super sweet. She has a bunch of cute kids, and just had another. Her just-gave-birth hospital picture is probably the best I’ve ever seen – she looks beautiful. No messed up hair, no splotchy face, no double chins – just glowy “I gave birth five minutes ago, no problem!” I’m very impressed.

She posted on my Facebook wall a month or so ago, asking if I had a tried-and-true recipe for scones, especially something along the lines of those yummy mini vanilla scones you can find at Starbucks. I didn’t. But of course I couldn’t just say “not yet” and leave it at that.

And so, since then, I’ve discovered Alton Brown’s amazing scone recipe. I’ve made several iterations of it, and it’s really pretty perfect. The scones are soft, a little fluffy, flavorful, and flaky. I’ve made vanilla lime scones (in flower shapes with green lime frosting – decent, but probably a little too goofy to be post worthy) and fruit and nut scones (definitely post worthy – someday). And, of course, I’ve made mini vanilla scones. Admittedly, these would be far more impressive with little vanilla bean flecks in them, but all I had around is vanilla extract. And I think they’re darn good like this, too.

With my old high school acquaintance’s new mini addition to her maxi family, I’m not sure she’ll have a spare second anytime soon to try the mini scones, but when she does, it’ll be right here. And thanks to her for the inspiration!

Here’s the recipe.

5 from 2 votes

Mini Vanilla Scones

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Author: Kare

Yield: 16 scones

These Starbucks copycat scones are soft, fluffy, and flaky.

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Ingredients

Scones

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (salted butter is will work, I just suggest you reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
• Cut the 4 tablespoons of butter into chunks and add, along with the shortening, to the flour mixture.
• Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. (Fun factoid: When you roll out the dough, the shortening and butter  flatten out, and that's what helps the dough to be flaky.)
• In a separate small bowl, beat the egg.
• Mix in the heavy cream and the vanilla.
• Create a well in the dry mixture, then pour the cream mixture in.
• Mix just until the dough starts to stick together. I try to work it as little as possible after this point.
• Turn the scone dough out onto a floured board, and gently knead it together enough to form somewhat of one cohesive chunk of dough (I knead it just once or twice)
• Roll into an approximately 6 inch by 9 inch rectangle.
• Cut into 16 scones. I make four cuts up, one down the middle, and then slice every rectangle into two triangles.
• Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes - I check for just a teensy tinge of golden brown along the bottom.
• Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack with paper towels underneath (the paper towels help with clean-up).
• Make the glaze - mix the powdered sugar, the vanilla extract, and the milk together well.
• Using a spoon, drizzle a little glaze over the top of each scone.
• Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve.