Mardi Gras is just around the corner and will be celebrated in the US on February 28th this year. Making a traditional “King Cake” has been on my list of recipes to try for a long time. Once again I made something different but I am very happy I did.
First I made cupcakes with a granddaughter (02/08/13) and then a King Cake (03/04/14) using Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, which happens to be one of my easiest and most popular recipes on my blog right now.
This is my first scone recipe and the first scones I have ever made. What better time to share this flavorful scone than for Mardi Gras.
I have made lots of muffins (search muffins), biscuits (search biscuits) and even scuffins (search scuffins for 3 recipes). In case you were wondering, a “scuffin” has the shape of a muffin but the soft flaky dough of a scone and like a jelly donut, there is a sweet filling of fruit. The textures go from crisp on the outside to soft in the middle – great combination of flavors too.
This recipe is pure goodness (is that a word) without any nuts, raisins or such ingredients. Just a lot of “fat” that makes these scones appropriate for Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday.
I not only love my hundreds of cookbooks but I also enjoy reading my magazine subscriptions. Louisiana Cookin.com, a favorite magazine featuring Southern specialties, has provided this wonderful breakfast/brunch treat. I used all of the ingredients but completely changed the baking directions because I used a scone pan instead of baking them on parchment paper.
This is one of the many pictures I took on my last visit to New Orleans, home of Mardi Gras in the US.
King Cake Scones, Adapted
- 2-1/4 cups flour
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, diced
- 3 oz. cream cheese, chilled and diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup whole buttermilk, divided (1/2 cup for the scones and 1/4 cup to brush on top before baking)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- buttermilk glaze (see below)
- purple, yellow and green sanding sugars
Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly oil a scone pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Whisk the sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk and the two extracts. Add this to the flour mixture. Bring mixture together with your hands until you achieve a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out and knead a few times; flatten into a round disk. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place each wedge in a well of the lightly oiled scone pan.
Bake until lightly browned for about 25 minutes; let cool completely. Drizzle scones with buttermilk glaze and sprinkle with the three sanding sugars.
Buttermilk Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp. buttermilk
Combine above ingredients and immediately sprinkle colored sugars on top before the glaze dries. Serve with your favorite jam or cream or just eat them plain.
These scones are pretty darn good!!!
Recipe by Cooking With Aunt Juju
Looks amazing 😊
Thanks!
That looks great – put I am off to a parade ! another day
Thanks!
The scones look perfect and the colorful topping is such a great idea!
It brought back memories from a trip to New Orleans. What a great city for food lovers! 🙂
Thanks Ronit – first time I made scones! I love New Orleans – it may be a little crazy but so full of life and adventure. I’m lucky to have a sister who lives a couple hours away so I hope to go back soon 🙂 It’s a foodie paradise for sure!
You are indeed very lucky! 🙂
Such a fun fun idea to make King Cake Scones! I bet your granddaughter had a blast cooking with you!! 🙂
Thanks – it’s always fun to cook with someone else 🙂
🙂
They look very festive, Judi! We are going to a Mardi Gras fundraiser dinner tonight. I love all those Mardis Gras beads, I kept a bunch of them for many years from when I went as a child. After my daughter was born and she got hold of them, who knows where they went? lol
The colors and sparkling sugar on top of the scones did indeed look festive. Did you dress up? We went to a few of those and if anything we always wore great masks! You could keep the beads in one piece as a child and your daughter could not? Oh my 🙂
No we did not dress up, but I got to go home with some fake Mardi Gras beads! They also had masks on the table, but I didn’t wear it. The jambalaya and jalapeno cornbread was great! In my daughter’s defense, I gave her the beads when she was about 3 or 4, she loved to play “dress up” with them. 🙂
So colorful and tasty!
Yes they definitely were!
They look very delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Liz!
It sounds like you had a lot of fun Judi and I bet your granddaughter loves the activities you guys do together. Those Scones look delicious and perfect for Mardi Gras.
Thanks Julie – I really enjoyed them and wonder why I have not made them before. Next will be a savory version!
Love them! So festive- a great spin on a King Cake. Where did you get your baby!?!? I have always put a Hershey’s kiss in my king cake instead of a baby (after baking). Would love to have the real thing. 🙂 My husband was on a business trip in New Orleans and couldn’t track one down…
Thanks Josette – I’ve had them awhile and can’t remember where I bought them. I do have a bunch of them! I’m sure if you look on Amazon you can find some. I like your idea of using a Hershey’s kiss 🙂
They look lovely – all those sprinkles… New Orleans sounds just too fantastic, it’s definitely on my bucket list!
Thanks Ginger – New Orleans is really a very unique and special city. I would never tire of going there for a visit – not sure I would want to live there though 🙂
So gorgeous, really fun!
Thanks Lynn – sprinkles are always fun to use!
oh yes!
Great Mardi Gras post with your King Cake scones Judi. Love the festive colors and kudos to you for trying out scones for the first time, I must say they turned out beautiful! It’s such a wonderful time with all the revelry in New Orleans this time of year, but sad to hear of the crazy guy who rammed into a crowd a couple days ago there.
Thanks Loretta – they turned out really good and I will certainly make them again. I heard about the terrible accident – fortunately no life-threatening injuries. Alcohol and driving just do not mix…