Fudge Walnut Swirl Scones!

Who knows what provides that spark of inspiration? It can be as simple as a scene in a movie, or a photo in a magazine, or just reading a cook book. It might be a memory. Sometimes it comes out of thin air! I find inspiration all over the place. Even when I'm sleeping new recipes come to me. That's what happened last night, after I finally fell asleep at 4:30 in the morning (yes, I'm that age!). I woke up around 7 am and just knew I had to make a scone with a fudge swirl and walnuts, and make it today! Because I'm working all nights this week, I had the morning off and started right in. I can make scones blind-folded, so these came together in a flash. Here's a collage of the process, followed by the recipe which just might become part of my regular repetoire, and yours, too! Let me know if you make these delicious scones and how you like them!

FUDGE WALNUT SWIRL SCONES
Makes 6 large or 12 mini scones

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces butter, softened
1/4 cup buttermilk, or 1/4 cup milk soured with a tablespoon of cider vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce
chopped walnuts
egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with a tablespoon of milk or cream)

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in softened butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until butter is the size of small peas. Place bowl in freezer for 10 minutes for the butter pieces to firm up and become well chilled.

Take flour mixture out of the freezer. In small, separate bowl, combine milk, beaten egg, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and toss lightly with fork until most of the flour is absorbed.

Turn out the flour/milk mixture onto a well-floured counter top or board. Shape it into a loose ball and knead 10 times (folding in half over itself and patting down 10 times).

Shape into 1 round disk, about 6-inches across for 6 large scones, or divide dough into two equal parts and form each into a disk, about 4-inches across.  Spread disks with hot fudge sauce (two tablespoons for large disk, one tablespoon each for smaller disks). Sprinkle hot fudge with chopped walnuts.

Roll up disk, jelly-roll style, into a log.

Tuck ends under the log.

Shape log into a circle (6-inches for 6 large or two 4-inch circles for 12 mini).  Cut each disk into 6 sections.

Place triangles on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Brush or blot tops of scones with egg wash.

Put pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. The shape is better when they go in the oven super cold!

Take pan from freezer and bake for 20-23 minutes depending on oven. Scones are done when they take on a golden-brown crust. Don't let them get too dark.

Remove pan to wire rack to cool.

Serve scones for breakfast or with tea, or for a really lovely dessert, warm up and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Bonus photo: Pete, my 3-year old grandson, helped make these cookies yesterday. Actually, I helped him because his motto is "I can do it myself!" for everything. And he pretty much did!

Sweet Pete