Butter Pecan Scones

4.7
(3)
3 Reviews

Whip up a batch of these Scottish-born biscuits for breakfast.

By
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee
Catherine Jessee is an Assistant Digital Food Editor at Southern Living. She is a writer, editor, and recipe developer with a passion for Appalachian foodways, culture, and history. Prior to joining the Southern Living, Catherine tested and developed recipes for print and digital publications like EatingWell, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more.
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Published on August 21, 2023
Southern Living Butter Pecan Scones ready to serve on a serving board
Photo:

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely 
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
6

Buttery, toasty, and warm, these scones have it all. Butter pecans are suspended throughout the flaky pastry and sprinkled over top for a sweet and salty breakfast or coffee break treat. There’s a subtle heat from the cinnamon in the dough and glaze, plus a multi-dimensional sweetness thanks to the use of different sugars: powdered sugar and maple syrup in the glaze, and a sweet (but not too sweet) granulated sugar dough.

Mastering the perfect scone texture can be a little tricky though. It’s important for the butter, milk, and egg to be cold and to work quickly without handling the dough too much, just as you would with biscuit or pie dough. 

A crucial step in nailing the nostalgic flavor of these scones is how we prepare the pecans. Toasting them in butter and then immediately salting and sugaring them allows those ingredients to adhere directly to the nut, so you get that sweet and salty bite on the nut itself, separate from the dough. This really helps create a butter pecan flavor without needing to use an artificial extract, and while it is an extra step, it’s worth the result without a whole lot of extra complication.

Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, divided

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 1/3 cup, plus 1/8 tsp. granulated sugar, divided

  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp., plus a pinch of ground cinnamon, divided

  • 1 large egg, cold

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 9 Tbsp. cold heavy whipping cream, divided

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in top third position. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium. Add pecans; cook, stirring occasionally, until nuts are toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle pecans with 1/8 teaspoon each of the granulated sugar and the salt. Cool 10 minutes.

  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut remaining 4 tablespoons of cold butter into small cubes, and work the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or 2 forks until the mixture is crumbly but some larger pea-size pieces of butter remain.

  3. Whisk together egg, vanilla, and 6 tablespoons of the cream in a medium bowl; add to flour mixture, and stir until almost combined, about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the toasted pecans, and fold until just combined and a loose, crumbly dough comes together.

  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a 6-inch-diameter disk about 3/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut disk into 6 wedges. Arrange wedges about 1/2 inch apart on a small rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill, uncovered, 20 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 12 hours.

  5. Lightly brush tops of scones with 1 tablespoon of the cream. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and edges are crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.

  6. While scones cool, whisk together powdered sugar; maple syrup; and remaining 2 tablespoons cream, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Drizzle icing over warm scones, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted pecans.

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