Maple Nut Scones

These scrumptious little treats captured my heart (stomach) in San Francisco.

After an amazing week in Las Vegas we decided to spend two nights in San Francisco on the way to Vancouver. We arrived early in the evening and, after navigating ourselves through the airport, onto BART and into the city, we were feeling the traveller's blues.

We headed out to get dinner and found the most amazing little cafe, hilariously named, "The Squat & Gobble". I was fairly ill at the time and just wanted some vegetables. What I got was the most amazing stir fry I have ever had in my life. "Stir Fry?" I hear you ask, "a bit of noodles and veg?" IT. WAS. LIFE. ALTERING. To top the whole experience off our waiter had asked us if we wanted to sit out the front, in the restaurant or in the court yard out the back. Curious, we asked to see the court yard. Overgrown gardens. Fairy lights. Water feature. When restauranty folk talk about 'ambience' this is what they should be talking about.

So what does all this have to do with Maple Nut Scones? Well, after our amazing meal, we felt reenergised and ready to take on the San Francisco nightlife....so we went and saw a movie. By the time we had walked back to our hotel it was late. Very late. And we had to be up at 5am the next day to meet our guide for a fast paced and nonstop tour of one of the most amazing cities I have ever been to.

Morning. Freezing Cold. Exhaustion. Illness reignited tenfold. Mr B. gently forced me out the door and into a taxi to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero (American for 'awesome place').

Of course we were early and in front of us, like some sort of mecca, was "Peet's Coffee & Tea", purveyor of Maple Nut Scones. I don't know if it was the fact that it was overcast, rainy, freezing cold and I was sick but the latte and Maple Nut Scone I had for breakfast equalled yet another life altering meal in San Francisco.

American scones are different to traditional scones. They are flatter, crispy on the outside and the inside is soft but textured. The icing is sweet, thick and moreish. The whole thing goes down perfectly with a gorgeously steamed to perfection latte.

Since returning to our tiny, unexciting, 'unambient', little town back here in Australia I have had 3 attempts at these scones. I just can't seem to perfect it. Today is the closest I have ever come and really I just got the icing right. So until I get these less than perfect, unlife altering but deliciously iced Maple Nut Scones right I'm not putting the recipe up. Just the icing which would be perfect on anything....especially on a spatular eaten straight from the mixing bowl.

The Icing

What you need...

2/3 icing sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

50 grams butter (room temperature)

What you do...

Put the butter and the maple syrup into the mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine until creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar while beating slowly until all incorporated. Spread generously on everything.