BANANA BRAN SCONES--COOKING LIGHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Combine banana and brown sugar in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add flour mixture and 1/4 cup buttermilk alternately to banana mixture, stirring just until moist.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 1 1/2 minutes with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough. Brush 1 1/2 teaspoons buttermilk over surface of dough; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on wire racks.Preheat oven to 400°.

BUTTERMILK-BANANA SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat (such as Silpat®).
• Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to blend. Toss in cold butter and cut it into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Blend mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir gently until the mixture comes together. If it's a little too wet, add just a little bit more flour. Handle as lightly as possible and form into a disc on the prepared baking sheet. Gently cut into 12 wedges or just score the disc.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and baked all the way through, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a rack to complete cooling.

BANANA-NUT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• Place bananas in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until mashed. Add brown sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, beating to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
• Grate chilled butter into batter using a cheese grater. Beat to combine. Fold in walnuts using a rubber spatula. Drop batter by generous 1/4 cupfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges and tops of scones are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out with only crumbs, 17 to 20 minutes.
• When scones have a few minutes left in the oven, combine maple syrup and butter for glaze in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter melts completely; do not boil. Remove from heat. Add just enough confectioners' sugar, whisking in a small amount at a time, to reach desired consistency for glaze.
• Drizzle glaze over scones using a spoon or whisk.

"LIGHT AS A FEATHER" SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add butter and mix with fingers until coarse crumbs form. Gently mix yogurt, egg, and vanilla extract into flour mixture until dough is just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, for five or six turns. Pat or roll the dough out into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush each wedge with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

BUTTERMILK BANANA SCONES WITH PRALINE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut in butter pieces with a pastry knife or 2 knives until there are no large pieces and the mixture begins to look like coarse meal.
• Combine buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl; stir until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to dry mixture and stir to combine, about 30 seconds. Add chopped banana and stir until mixture is just beginning to come together. Turn out everything onto a floured work surface.
• Using a very light touch and floured fingers, gently push the dough together and mold it into a ball. With a bench scraper or large spatula, move dough ball to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Gently press dough into a large circle, about 12 inches across and 3/4 inch thick. Using the bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 10 equal slices. Press downward with the bench scraper or knife, lifting and pressing down, as you work your way across the circle. Do not drag to cut, or the edges will seal and spoil the rise. Brush top of the dough with melted butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until scones are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• While the scones are baking, melt butter for glaze in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir in buttermilk and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then stir in chopped pecans. Boil, stirring frequently for 1 more minute. Remove from the stove and allow to cool slightly.
• Drizzle glaze over warm scones and serve immediately.