Banana Bread Scones

These scones are the perfect breakfast when you’re rich in overripe bananas but don’t have the time or patience for banana bread. They bake up fast and don’t need to cool before being eaten. Some of the butter might ooze out a little while they bake, but don’t worry. That just helps get the bottom extra crunchy.

Ingredients

• 1 extra-large, extra-ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)

• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup/1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2 1/4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

• 1 1/4 ounces hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

• Sanding sugar for sprinkling

The Joy of Baking by Samantha Seneviratne

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the banana, cream, egg, and vanilla. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or 2 knives used like scissors, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces. (You can use your fingers if you work fast enough that the butter stays cold.) Toss in the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts.

Drizzle in the banana mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly and moistened, but stop before you’ve mixed it into a uniform batter. Tip out the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat it into a 6-inch circle. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the circle into 8 equal triangles. (At this point, you could freeze the triangles well-wrapped on their sheet for another day. Bake them from frozen.) Spread the triangles apart and brush the tops with the cream. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake until the scones are golden brown and set, about 22 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a scone should come out clean. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or room temperature. Scones are best the day they’re made.