This post is dedicated to my dad. My whole life, Dad has held my brothers and me to high standards, supported our educational goals, and encouraged us to work hard. And like me, he loves food. One of his favorites is my grandma’s pecan pie. So in honor of my dad’s love of this holiday favorite, I created Caramel Pecan Scones– my take on my grandma’s classic pie. These sweet morning treats are great with a large mug of coffee or tall glass of milk, though I find Caramel Pecan Scones are equally good reheated in the microwave for a few seconds for an afternoon pick-me-up. Honestly, I can’t think of a reason not to eat these bits of caramel perfection! 🙂
When creating this recipe, I went back to my Cherry Cobbler Scones and modified the ingredients a bit. I knew I couldn’t make the typical pecan pie texture, but my vision was to create a flavor profile reminiscent of this family favorite in the form of a scone. I have to say, I am very pleased with the results!
Caramel Pecan Scone Recipe…
It is imperative to start with beautiful, fresh, pecan halves. I order mine straight from a pecan farm in Georgia, as I have a difficult time finding nice pecans in the stores where we live. Here’s a link. (Note: I am not reimbursed for my endorsement. I bet they don’t even know my little blog exists!) Please know that I did not chop the pecans for this recipe, as I like biting into an entire pecan half and having the full flavor hit my taste buds. Remember that nuts are good for you!
There is a little prep. work prior to making the dough, as I made a quick caramel pecan filling for these scones. This needs to cool before adding to the scones, or else the butter in the scones will melt and not give a nice rise in the oven. I sandwiched the filling between two halves of the scone dough and saved a few pecans as a topping.
After baking, I drizzled the Caramel Pecan Scones with a fast and easy caramel icing. This is my maternal grandma’s recipe pared down. So, I suppose these scones aren’t only a tribute to my dad and his mom, but also to my mom’s mom. Aren’t memories and shared recipes wonderful? I feel so blessed to share this recipe with you. Dad, a tough critic, gave these scones his nod of approval.
I hope you enjoy! I’d love to hear your comments! Please sign up to follow me and receive recipe notifications when new recipes are posted. Your email is safe…I never share your information!
Caramel Pecan Scones
Notes
Though I leave the pecans whole, you could chop into smaller pieces prior to adding to skillet for filling.
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 5 T. cold butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 c. Greek yogurt
- 1 t. vanilla extract
Filling
- 3 T. butter
- 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 c. pecans
Icing
- 2 T. butter
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1 T. milk
- 1/4 t. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- For Filling: In medium skillet, melt 3 T. butter over low heat. Increase to medium, add 1/2 c. brown sugar and pecans, cooking and stirring constantly until pecans are toasted and caramel filling is bubbly. Remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl, and place in refrigerator to cool.
- For Scones: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the scones.
- Cut in the 5 T. of butter using a pastry blender.
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Add all at once to dry ingredients and fold gently until mostly combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead 4-6 times, or until dough comes together.
- Divide dough in half. Press one half out into an 8 inch disk.
- Cover dough with 2/3 of caramel filling, pressing into dough.
- Press other half of dough into a disk and place over filling, sealing edges carefully.
- Top scones with reserved pecan caramel filling mixture.
- Cut scones into 8 pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until scones are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for five minutes before piping icing over scones.
- For icing: Melt 2 T. butter, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1 T. milk over medium heat, stirring frequently. When mixture bubbles, remove from heat and whisk in 1/4 t. vanilla extract and 1/2 c. powdered sugar until smooth. Note: whisk in 1/4 c. of powdered sugar at a time to ensure a smooth icing.
- Place icing in ziptop baggie, snip corner, and pipe icing over warm scones.
