Happy Birthday to ME! Today will be full of nothing but sugar and cider. Okay, and maybe a little work. To start the day we have the monthly dessert challenge! This month the focus is on maple and pears. I’m a huge fan of maple but I was kind of stumped with the pears.
Generally when I get pears I look for the easiest and fastest ways to get rid of them. I just don’t love them. However, they tend to be okay in baked goods so I sucked it up and bought some pears. This recipe makes only 6 scones since I prefer to serve them the day they are made. The cream cheese and margarine mixture helps keep them tender.
The pears hold up well in this recipe but I thought plain maple syrup would get lost. I ended up using maple extract to give them a bit more kick and it worked out great. Maple sugar is just the icing on the cake! If you can’t find maple sugar (makes a frowny Canadian face and apologizes) then feel free to sprinkle these with demerara sugar or something to give them a sweet crunch.

Maple Pear Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp chilled tofutti cream cheese cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp chilled margarine cut into small pieces
- 2 Tbps canola oil
- 1 small pear peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp maple extract
- maple sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
- Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl; whisk to blend.
- Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut or rub cream cheese and margarine into the dry ingredients. Add oil and toss with a fork to coat. Add pear and toss to coat.
- Mix almond milk and maple extract in a measuring cup and add just enough to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (It will be sticky).
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times; do not overwork it. Pat into a 7 1/2-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of almond milk and sprinkle with maple sugar.
- Bake the scones until golden and firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
These sound so good. Lovely birthday breakfast! I hope you ate cake for breakfast too, because that’s what birthdays are for right?!
These sound so good. Lovely birthday breakfast! I hope you ate cake for breakfast too, because that’s what birthdays are for right?!
Happy Birthday and many more as long as you keep baking scones. They look terrific.
These scones look amazing. Happy Birthday!
I love that you made these vegan, Shannon!