Summertime is here! The kids are out of school, the heat swells in many parts of the world, and there are books to be read, vacations to plan, and… wait, what part of “the livin’ is easy” does that summertime song refer to? And to add to all that, the bananas are ripening or overripening faster than they can be eaten. Well, at least they are in my house.
You may already know that ripe and overripe bananas are a superhero of whole-food, plant-based baking, keeping things moist while adding flavor and natural sweetness.
So when life gives you bananas, what do you do?
Today’s post is a great alternative to banana bread – banana scones with brown sugar and cranberry glaze… oh yeah! Ready, set, go!
Scone mixture ready to be cut
Glaze
Scones cut and ready to be cooked
Light and fluffy scones, cooked and ready to be glazed
Glazed scones ready to be eaten!
And “one of these mornings you are going to rise up singing” (as the song says) because you made these scones!
Summertime and Bananas Need Baking - Make Scones!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping if you like cinnamon)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 5 ounce cranberry yogurt regular or light
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- GLAZE
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cranberries or craisins
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
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PREP: preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Slice the butter into pieces and work the pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork.
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Mash the bananas and if necessary add milk to equal a cup. Stir the yogurt in and add to the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts.
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Line a small wooden breadboard or a cutting board with parchment paper and lay the dough on top, flatenning it out to about 1-inch thick. Cover with a piece of wax or parchment paper and freeze the dough for about 30 minutes.
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Peel off the top layer of parchment and slice the scones into squares or wedges. Lay scone slices on prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until scones are golden brown. Cool scones while you make the glaze.
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GLAZE
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Melt the butter in the microwave or small pan. Add the milk, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar and melted. Whisk in the powdered sugar along with the cranberries.
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Drizzle the glaze over the scones just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Glaze is sticky and hardens as it cools. Only glaze as many scones as your want to consume. Unglazed scones can be frozen and re-heated in the microwave or toaster oven.