Banana Nut Scones with Maple Glaze

You will need:

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large ripe bananas)
1/ 4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or any plain yogurt or sour cream)
1/ 2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/ 2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/ 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/ 8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
(Top before baking: 3 tablespoons milk and coarse sugar)

Maple Glaze

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/ 2 cup maple syrup
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the mashed bananas, yogurt, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.

Grate the frozen butter (yes you read that right).

Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, two forks, a food processor, or your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

Drizzle wet ingredients over flour mixture, add the walnuts, and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened.

Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. Dough will be sticky and a little wet. Drop scones, 1/ 4 cup of dough each, at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush scones with milk, then top with a little coarse sugar if desired for extra crunch.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool as you make the icing. The scones taste even better after they cool down!

Make the icing: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle over scones.

Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.