Banana Bread Scones

All the comforts of banana bread with crunchy-sweet edges & fluffy, chocolate-spiked middles

Ingredients

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

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

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

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

• 2 1/4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 1/4 oz hazelnuts

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.

2. 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.

3. 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 craggy, 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 a good couple inches apart and brush the tops with the cream. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

4. Bake until the scones are golden brown and set, about 18 to 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. 

adapted from Food52.com