Definitely not a typo. I put freshly cracked black pepper in a rich cream scone and topped it with a maple glaze. Stay with me here. I dreamt up this breakfast combo one night when a friend said that he ‘just didn’t get the whole chicken and waffles thing.’ I quietly died a little inside. What’s not to love? Salty fried chicken + maple syrup. It really got me thinking. I believe the chicken and waffles obsession goes beyond the salty-sweet flavor combination. If it was simply salt + sweet that we loved, we would pour salted caramel sauce on all of our meats. I decided (or was it divinely revealed to me?) that the secret is actually a third component—the black pepper on the chicken. I hemmed and hawed on it for a little while. Then, I was reading my favorite food magazine (Taste of the South) and came across a recipe for black pepper and cane syrup sauce. It was meant to be.
But hey, if the pepper freaks you out, leave it out. The scones are delicious without it, too. This recipe makes two giant scones. It couldn’t be easier, because we’re not going to roll or cut out the scones. After we crumble the butter into the flour mixture and stir in the cream, just divide the dough in half by eye, and mound it into rough circles on the baking sheet. The more rustic the edges, the more crannies there are for that maple glaze. Mmm hmm. You could even make these black pepper scones on a week day morning since it uses cold butter. Mix all the ingredients in one bowl, and then scoop it straight on the cookie sheet. You can do this! You can also do the black pepper part, too, I promise.
