happy birthday mama

Today is my mom's birthday. She didn't want me to post anything on facebook, so I thought I'd post it on my blog!My mom is a great lady: she has helped me pack more apartments then I care to count. She has been (happily) dragged to many breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner & dessert places around town...and is even willing to let me still drag her around to places on the East Coast! She is a listening ear, a comforting voice, and a strong wife and mother. She is the mom I want to be when we have some little Sturdlings of our own. She is fun, youthful, up for anything, and selfless.One of my mom's favorite things are my petite vanilla scones, and frankly, who wouldn't want to make these for breakfast and sit down and enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee and mom! I cannot wait to enjoy these with her in 16 days when she's here!

Petite Vanilla Scones

From Pioneer WomenMakes 12 mini sconesIngredientsSCONES3 cups All-purpose Flour2/3 cups Sugar5 teaspoons Baking Powder1/4 teaspoon Salt2 sticks UNSALTED Butter, Chilled1 whole Large Egg3/4 cups milk+1 tablespoon lemon juice2 whole Vanilla Beans or 1 tsp vanilla extractGLAZE3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted1/2 cup Milk1 whole Vanilla Bean mixed in ORif you do not want to buy a vanilla bean, 2 tablespoons of Lars Swedish Sugar will do...or nothing but the glaze would be just fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla "caviar" inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.VANILLA GLAZETo make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.