Muffins + Scones Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Banana Bread Scones with Toasted Sesame Icing

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:19:36 +0000

I make scones for every possible occasion, as they can be shaped ahead of time and frozen, then pulled out and baked as needed. I like them plain, packed with fruit, dusted in sugar, coated in icing, studded with chocolate and white chocolate and more chocolate, dotted with crystallized ginger and dried cranberries and poppy seeds and candied orange. Now I have banana-flavored scones to add to the mix. Since it’s impossible for me to choose between banana bread and scones for a favorite morning treat, I decided to find away to enjoy both. My secret to the flakiest scones includes folding the dough over several times to create multiple flaky layers, which helps the scones bake up tall and lofty. Please don’t skip icing the scones! Doing this while they’re still warm helps them stay tender for hours after baking.And the toasted sesame flavor really makes them shine. If you aren’t able to do toasted sesame oil, you can replace it with black strap rum or water. How I Make Sure Scones Keep Their Shape Sometimes the tip of the scone triangle will slip down the side of the scones during baking. I peek in the oven a couple times during the baking and […]

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Moist Cherry Almond Muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:20:07 +0000

Back in college when I was working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Cherry Almond was a popular muffin flavor that showed up in the bake case at least once a week. Since my reader favorite Blueberry Muffin recipe already had almond flour in it, I decided that it would be very adaptable for this nostalgic flavor. It works beautifully in this base recipe, and is a perfect way to start a morning. These muffins are light with a tender crumb, and almond flour and almond extract give them a well-rounded flavor. Some muffin tips from my testing: *I found adding almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light, and also adds rich flavor. I don’t recommend swapping it with all-purpose flour. *Since muffin pans are all unique, I like to bake a test muffin when I first try a recipe to see how it bakes up in my pan. This way I know how to adjust how much batter to put in the pan if the muffin spills over while baking. *Filling the muffin cups so that every other cup is empty can help the muffins bake higher. Leaving that extra space in between muffins gives them more room to rise, […]

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Flaky Lemon White Chocolate Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:22:46 +0000

I have a bag of lemons and blood oranges in my refrigerator. Maybe it’s the Minnesota in me, but March and April can drag here, and bright, tart citrus is a welcome addition to the snow covered yards. After years filled with brief moments of blissful warm followed by weeks of dreary cold rain mixed with snow, I don’t trust this ‘second’ spring we often find ourselves in. So, the citrus stays a little bit longer. White Chocolate In Scones? There are some who believe that chocolate does not belong in scones, ever, but I respectfully disagree (and have a similar opinion regarding sprinkle scones and chocolate chip scones). While I love fruit in scones, like my Double Apple Scones and Raspberry Scones ), sometimes a hit of chocolate is just what is needed with a steaming cup of coffee. And white chocolate and lemon is a beautiful match. Make sure to cut the white chocolate into small pieces, because it doesn’t melt as easily as regular chocolate. How I Make My Scones I have made many scones over the years, and have finally settled on this recipe with a buttery scone base, crème fraîche, and an extra egg yolk for rich flavor and tenderness. This scone recipe […]

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Tender, Buttery Chocolate Chip Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:43:56 +0000

About this recipe: I was in my early twenties and had never eaten a proper scone. My initial encounters had all been tasteless affairs: coffee-chain-store scones that crumbled all over my lap when I bit into them and left me frantically guzzling down coffee as I tried to swallow those dry, sugary pieces. All that changed one crisp fall day when I was working the morning shift at the Blue Heron. We were in between rushes, and I was trying to slurp down my iced vanilla latte before the next line of people marched in. Colleen pulled out a baking tray from the oven, and I’ll never forget that sight. Beautiful, creamy white triangles glittering with sugar icing and speckled with chocolate made their way to the wire racks. The flaky, buttery layers called to me, and I decided I owed them another chance. Each bite I took included tiny bits of rich, dark chocolate, a not-too-sweet icing that kept the scone moist and tender, and a creamy, flaky scone base that held the whole affair together. It was inevitable: I was hooked for life. Chocolate In Scones? There are some who believe that chocolate does not belong in scones, […]

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Double Apple Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 21:18:03 +0000

I make scones for every possible occasion and in every possible flavor (like pumpkin, panettone, ginger chocolate, and sprinkle) and I especially love them around the holidays, as the can be shaped ahead of time and frozen, then pulled out and baked as needed. These apple scones are no exception, and they bake up flaky and tender. How I Make My Scones I have made many scones over the years, and have finally settled on this buttery scone base, with crème fraîche and an extra egg yolk for rich flavor and a tenderness, and gently folded layers to keep the scones flaky. This scone recipe includes folding the dough over several times to create multiple flaky layers. I take advantage of the folds: I spread a thin layer of apple butter across the surface and sprinkled the top with apples gently steamed in apple cider. The apple butter boosted flavor and helped the apples adhere, and the scones baked up tall and lofty. A drizzle of icing to the scones while still warm helps keep the scones stay tender for hours after baking. Baking with Apples Apples take a long time to break down during baking, so often I like to […]

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Flaky Raspberry Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 15:04:46 +0000

Over the years I have made hundreds upon hundreds of scones, and have slowly evolved my working recipe. I have settled on a buttery scone, with crème fraiche and an extra egg yolk for rich flavor and a tender base, and gently folded layers to keep the scones flaky. However, as much as I love adding fresh fruit to my dough, especially in these summer months, the extra juice can sometimes cause problems when baking.

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Homemade Blueberry Muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 17:03:24 +0000

What Makes This Blueberry Muffin Recipe Different? My blueberry muffin experience started with a blue boxed mix, complete with tiny dried blueberries. My mom would often make them to accompany dinner, and we would devour them slathered in too much butter. I started baking them from scratch while working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse; I always loved that their recipe added nutmeg and I took that little trick with me when I left. This recipe is revamped from my first book and now included in my latest cookbook, 100 Morning Treats; I found adding almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light, and also adds rich flavor. Bumping up the baking powder and adding another egg helped those muffins dance beautifully over the rim. You’ll find nutmeg incorporated in the perfectly sugary top (please don’t skip this!); the crunch being a perfect contrast to the moist muffin. Why Do You Fill Every Other Muffin Cup? Filling the muffin cups so that every other cup is empty can help the muffins bake higher. Leaving that extra space in between muffins gives them more room to rise, and their tops won’t bake into each other in the pan. This does mean you […]

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Sprinkle Scones with Icing

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:18:44 +0000

“A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came – a loud knock.” -JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit I make scones for every possible occasion, as they can be shaped ahead of time and frozen, then pulled out and baked as needed. I like them plain, packed with fruit, dusted in sugar, coated in icing, studded with chocolate and white chocolate and more chocolate, dotted with crystallized ginger and dried cranberries and poppy seeds and candied orange. And while Bilbo probably wouldn’t add sprinkles to his scones, I often do, because I have two little nieces whose eyes light up at the sight of rainbow specks on pretty much anything. My two teenage children also will gravitate towards sprinkle treats as well. These scones are soft, tender, and delicious. Scone Technique I had been making scones the same way for years – an adaption of Ina Garten’s Strawberry Scones from her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa. However, I changed things up after stumbling upon a genius idea from Cook’s Illustrated. Their scone recipe included folding the dough over several times to create […]

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Panettone Scones

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 23:49:33 +0000

With a delicious mix of dried fruit and almond paste, these holiday inspired breakfast treats are especially tender and flaky. I usually make the base of my scones with crème fraîche or sour cream, but I was happy to discover that skyr yogurt works just as well. They're absolutely delicious.

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15 Best Mother’s Day Breakfast Recipes

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 07 May 2021 12:02:42 +0000

Wondering what to make for Mother’s Day? These delicious breakfast recipes are homemade with love, and make the best gift. Whether they’re a brunch centerpiece, or you’re serving them to her as breakfast in bed, there are plenty of ideas staring with Soft and Gooey Cinnamon Rolls to Classic Blueberry Muffins. Mother’s Day Breakfast Ideas! Baking for mom or your mother figure is quite special, so I’ve picked out 15 of my favorite recipes that I think she’ll love. You’ll find a wonderful balance of flavors and textures, easy to more advanced, and all homemade. The Cinnamon Rolls are a reader favorite, and mine too!

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