Sweet Potato Scones

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 40 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes (about 3/4 lb.)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized slices
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• kosher salt, a pinch

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°; lightly grease a baking sheet.
• 2 prick the sweet potatoes for a few times with the tines of a fork; bake them on the prepared pan until tender, 30-40 minutes.
• 3 remove from oven; let cool to touch, about 10 minutes.
• 4 cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh into a bowl, and lightly mash with a fork.
• 5 cover the bowl and refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes (warm potatoes will melt the butter, keeping the scones from attaining optimum lightness and tenderness).
• 6 increase oven temperature to 425°.
• 7 in a big bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• 8 use your hands or pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until the dough is crumbly and contains lumps the size of small peas.
• 9 add the cooled sweet potatoes and 1/4 cup of cream and lightly stir into the flour mixture.
• 10 add the remaining 1/4 cup cream and the buttermilk and stir until just mixed (do not overwork the dough).
• 11 place dough on a lightly floured work surface; lightly coat your hands in flour and form the dough into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle.
• 12 cut the dough into 6 squares, then cut each square on the diagonal to make triangle shaped scones.
• 13 bake on ungreased baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, until the scones are a light golden brown; transfer to wire racks for cooling.
• 14 maple cream: in a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth.
• 15 ice the warm scones by dipping the whisk in the maple cream and moving it quickly over the scones using a back-and-forth motion.
• 16 serve scones warm or at room temperature.