Maple Cream Scone with Sausage gravy

This is a great Sunday morning breakfast, you can make the scones the night before, this allows the maple flavor to really enhance. Sausage gravy not your thing, make a breakfast sandwich by making patties with the sausage or crisp bacon is nice, then a fried egg, cheese of choice (I have used MVD feta, Dutch girl Softy or some of JFF fresh goat chevre...with all the great things at the Shed I was have trouble picking a favorite!). Oh...and when heirloom are fresh and at their peak...you know when you sniff one and it so smells like summer... add a thin slice. You could also use these for a chicken salad sandwich, even ham would be nice.

Maple Scone:

1 1/8 c AP unbleached flour
1 1/8 c Whole Wheat pastry flour (could use a White Wheat flour)
3/4 c corn meal
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c Kriemhild Butter, or a combo of Gaia's Breath lard and butter, diced and well chilled
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c Mill Hollow Maple syrup, Grade B
2 tsp vanilla


The key to a good scone here is to have everything well chilled. Stir together the cream, syrup and vanilla and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Measure all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine in a large bowl (make sure it will fit in you freezer). Add the diced butter and lard, gently toss to just coat with the flour mixture. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes.**

Remove flour mixture from the freezer and grab the cream mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter/lard into the flour, making about pea size crumbs.

Using a fork, stir in the cream mixture, just until combine. Turn this out onto a floured work surface. Knead about 10 times, adding flour (lightly) to prevent sticking and the dough becomes smooth.

Pat (or roll) dough out into a rough 12x18" rectangle. (keep the work surface floured to prevent the dough from sticking). Fold down the top 1/3 rd of dough, then fold up the bottom 1/3rd. (like you are folding a business letter.) Rotate 90 degrees (the folded edges will now on the left and right). Pat (or roll) out again and repeat the fold then rotate. Repeat one more time.

Now roll this out to desired thickness (I try to keep it 12x18, roughly) I usually do about 1/2" thick but you could go as thick as 3/4".
You can use a cookie/biscuit cutter, then re-roll the scraps but I find the re-rolled dough gets a little tougher. I use a pizza cutter divide into 4ths. Then each quarter I cut into two. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. When scones are well chilled place in oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove to a cooling rack.

**I do this with my pie crust all the time and gave it a try with my scones, it made a world of difference. So do this with you biscuits, pie dough or basically any scone you would make.

Sausage gravy:

1 pkg of breakfast sausage (Wintergrass, Mountain View or Sweetgrass)
2 tbsp Kriemhild butter
2 tbsp AP unbleached flour
2 -2 1/2 c milk, at room temperature
S/P

In a large pan crumble and brown off the sausage. Remove to a platter. Melt butter in same pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour once the butter has melted, stir and cook for 1 minute. Slow whisk in milk, whisking constantly.  Bring to a boil and let boil 1 minute, keep whisking to prevent lumps and scorching. Reduce heat to low and add in the sausage. Add seasoning to taste. Just let gravy thicken (if it is too thick add a little milk at a time) and sausage heat through. Serve with scone.