Cinnamon Roll Scones

I'm finishing up my final week working in Denali. I'll miss my evening walks in the National Park and being surrounded by such breathtaking beauty every day. On the flip side I'll be happy to have my own kitchen and regular internet again. It's been hard being so disconnected from this site all summer. It seems to happen every year though. Things just get so busy in the summer. It's always a little disappointing when fresh, local food is so abundant and then not be able to share.
I wasn't really sure how this summer would work out and where I would find myself in the fall. There haven't been too many job opportunities this summer, so I am glad I took this seasonal position. I'm still trying to figure out what's next. I haven't given up on the idea of working in non-profit conservation, but the opportunities have been so few. I'd love to find something that combines my love of nature, food, and art. I'm happiest in a position when I am creating something new and have the ability to be creative. I just thought I would let you all know that I am looking again, so if you have any leads...
In the meantime I hope to be puttering around this site a bit more. It feels like every time I go away, a scone recipe is the easiest way to return. One of my co-workers this summer made a cup of tea at 2:00 in the afternoon; she called it her restart for the day. Scones are my blog restart. This one has been years in the making. Ever since I started making scones I wanted to find a way to combine my favorite breakfast treat with David's (cinnamon roll). I've tweaked and played with recipes, even posted a few of them here. None came close enough to give them the name "cinnamon roll scone". The hardest part is rolling or folding scone dough. Scones are not really meant to be rolled out, so I won’t tell you that it is easy, but my technique has much improved and an offset spatula does wonders for the process. If you are easily frustrated by a crumbly dough, you might want to skip this one. If you have a little patience for an absolutely amazing end result, you will be happy you gave this one a try.

Cinnamon Roll Scones

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adapted from One Bowl Baking by Yvonne Ruperti

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup cold half and half
1 large egg
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cubes of butter and work into the flour with a pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Whisk together the half and half with the large egg, pour into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently incorporate the liquid ingredients and scrape the edges of the bowl. Mixture will still be dry and crumbly. Return to using the pastry blender and cut the dough until it just sticks together, try not to overwork the dough as your scones will be tough. Scrape dough out onto a cutting board. Use your hands to press the dough together, and then roll it out to an 8x12 inch rectangle. You may need to flour your rolling pin to stop it from sticking to the dough. After you roll the dough out, run a spatula (an offset spatula works well for this) underneath the dough to loosen it from the cutting board. Sprinkle dough evenly with 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Fold the dough in half and roll back out to a 8x12 inch rectangle, again loosen the dough from the cutting board. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon. Fold dough in half length wise. Use your hands to clean up the edges and push the dough together to form an approximate 4x10 inch rectangle. Slice dough into six equal sized slices. Place scones, well-spaced on a large baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.