Banana Bread Scones
Tired of making banana bread, so I was looking for something else to do with my overly ripe bananas. Food52 has a recipe that marries banana bread with a flaky scone, which is brilliant! The scones are easy to prepare and require a fraction of the time a banana bread does to bake. The result is a slightly sweet pastry that has the crispy edges that I love in a scone, but the moist interior of a banana bread. Win/win!
Tips:
Original recipe called for 1/4 cup of hazelnuts and 1/2 cup of chocolate, both chopped. I omitted both and they were delicious. I’m sure the addition of chocolate can only make them better!
The key to a flaky scone is the cold butter. My original recipe calls for grated a frozen stick of butter into the dough. You could do that here too. Work quickly either way so that your butter doesn’t warm on you. If you find the scones getting too soft, pop them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before you bake them.
The scones can be frozen on your sheet pan after cut into triangles. Once frozen solid, transport them to a freezer bag or plastic container and keep in the freezer until ready to use. Bake the scone right from the freezer.
Scones are best the day they’re made, but any leftovers can be frozen (or stale ones can be split in half and toasted in butter in a skillet to revive them).
Banana Bread Scones
Originally from Food52
Makes 8 scones
PREP 20 minutes
COOK 22 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 extra-large, extra-ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
Sanding sugar for sprinkling (or turbinado or granulated)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the banana, cream, egg, and vanilla. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or 2 knives used like scissors, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces. (You can use your fingers if you work fast enough that the butter stays cold.) Toss in the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts, if using.
Drizzle in the banana mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and moistened, but stop before you’ve mixed it into a uniform batter. Tip out the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat it into a craggy, 6-inch circle. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the circle into 8 equal triangles. Spread the triangles a good couple inches apart and brush the tops with the cream. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake until the scones are golden brown and set, about 18 to 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a scone should come out clean. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or room temperature.