Cinnamon Toffee Oat Scones

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Watch ‘em carefully! Set aside to cool.

Increase oven temperature to 425ºF.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pulse a few times to combine. Add butter chunks to flour mixture and pulse until mixture is the size of small peas.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, half-and-half and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and the oats into the egg mixture and stir until almost mixed. Add the toffee bits and continue mixing just until mixture comes together in a ball. If dough is too sticky to handle, add a tablespoon or so of extra flour.

The most important thing at this point is that your dough is cold! If it isn’t cold anymore, place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until chilled. Then continue.

On a lightly floured surface, divide ball in half and shape each half into a thick disk with your hands. Roll each half into a 6 to 7-inch circle, about 1 inch thick.

With a floured knife, cut each circle into 4 wedges.

Place scones about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush scones with a little more half-and-half.

For the topping, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and half-and-half. Give each scone its little sugar party hat.

Bake 12 to 16 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until scones are lightly browned on the bottom and cooked through.

Note: You can substitute any sprinkle-ins for the toffee bits that you’d like. Add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, golden raisins, dates, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, snozberries, etc. You get the point! If you don’t have toffee bits, I recommend using cinnamon chips from the baking isle.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.