bourbon cinnamon sugar glazed peach scones

Who wouldn’t pair bourbon with peaches in a scone?

Tuesday was one of very strange and sad happenings. Thankfully, none of them which ended poorly impacted my personal sphere, but standing by as a virtual witness can sometimes be rather crushing on its own.

My mom’s apartment building is currently being worked on by a roofing company to stop some leaks and weakness in the shingles. Apparently, one of the roofers tumbled from the platform and rolled onto the lane below. The prognosis, from what mom saw, wasn’t positive. Cops rushed to the site and someone in the circle performed CPR. He was carted off and the policemen remained hovered around the scene.

Later in the day, I learned that a guy who runs a huge open water swim group in my area suffered a head-on car collision and lost his mother. What a nightmare that is. He survived with minimal damage (from what I read), but to lose a parent in such a gruesome, sudden, fraught fashion…No loss is ever easy, but some you can swallow with less choking. This one, I can’t even fathom the hurt.

Just makes the think sometimes, that the old cliches about fleeting moments and cherishing seconds, despite being overused and filed too thin, really do have a centimeter of truth. I fear nothing more than waking up with a life I hold dear no longer in my presence. Loss creates holes, and some holes are so shorn and gaping that to fill them takes more than a whole body’s life to sew. My heart reaches for those directly impacted by both instances.

And to think some are so selfish and blase about the pandemic that a simple needle jab throws them into a political tantrum absolutely knocks me into a temper.

I had to get that off me. So much in this world can be calmed if we’d only practice some empathy and quit setting our own agendas based on what cherrypicked information we choose to believe. I mean COVID, sure, but I mean other things, too, anything which we let divide us from others. We’re all just people, damn it. People hovering on the edge of a blade at any given moment. Teeter one way, and you’ve fallen. Just like that. Remember that happens to others, and you never know if you’ve encountered one who moments earlier lost their balance.

Be nice to people, man. And give your loved ones an extra squeeze for me, will you?

Biscuit Business

Scones are a type of biscuit, sometimes savory and sometimes sweet. These are the latter. Lightly crisped exteriors and flaky, soft interiors. I speckled these guys with fresh peaches, the ripest of the end of summer batch I could muster, alongside some cinnamon and cardamom for flare and just a kiss of sugar to nudge the peach flavor more to centerstage.

Keys to this game? Really cold, grated butter – grated incorporates more easily than cubed, I find, but if you don’t have a grater, small cubes work. Cold buttermilk, also. All this allows for some serious poof and the trademark scone texture we know and love.

Otherwise? Scones are lovely and simple. Start out by mixing together some flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Then, cut in the grated butter until only small crumbs remain, no larger than a pea. Doesn’t have to be perfectly even.

Lightly mix the buttermilk, and egg, and some vanilla, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, overmixing causes stiffness in the baked scone. Fold in a good heap of diced peaches. Take care not to overmix this as well, for the peaches release a decent amount of juice and a wet batter will ruin the finished scones.

Turn the batter onto a clean, floured surface. Knead 3-4 times, then form into a 1 inch rectangle. Cut 9-12 scones (I did 9 because I like big scones, and I cannot lie) and set onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the scones in the freezer for 10 minutes to reconstitute the butter and even out the temperature. Freezer time = floof scones.

Remove the goods from the freezer and brush with an egg wash. Bake 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees until golden and slightly crisp. Let cool on the sheet about 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool an additional 10 minutes or so.

Bourbon Business

Bourbon and peaches just work, and I’ll admit I’ve another rendition of that pairing coming next week. For now, though, let’s focus on glazing these puppies up with a simple but ridiculous icing.

Powdered sugar, a bit of bourbon, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon. Whisk that up until a glossy but pourable glaze forms. If too thick, add a tablespoon of milk. If too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar. You want it to dribble off a spoon but not like spittle. I know, real cute.

Lace the scones with the glaze. Lick the spoon when you’re done, but only when you’re done, you germy savage.

I recommend these with a big mug of coffee or tea. I’m a dipper, so I tend to break off a big chunk and dunk it right into my coffee. I think dunking in tea would be weird, but hey, if you’re into it, go for it. Just don’t tell me.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

In a scone mood? Try out these White Chocolate Glazed Lavender Coconut Scones!