Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones

Adorable Heart-Shaped Sweetheart Scones are a delicious breakfast or anytime treat. Easy to make and so very good with your favorite jam!

These heart-shaped scones are just the right amount of sweet to start a sweet day. As a bonus, both the yeast and the hint of vanilla make the kitchen smell absolutely heavenly as scones rise... and then as they bake.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Why This Recipe Works
• Can you substitute baking soda for baking powder?
• Make Ahead and Storage
• 📖 Recipe

I developed this recipe based on the basic scone recipe in my Breakfast Quick Breads Recipe Chart and have followed the rule of adding 1 teaspoon of leavening per cup of flour. But I wanted an even lighter texture, so these scones also contain yeast to leaven them. If you don’t want to wait for the scones to rise, you can still bake them right away after cutting, brushing them with egg wash, and sprinkling them with sparkling sugar.

This scone recipe is very easy to make. The dough comes together quickly and the baking time is very quick. So.... let's bake scones!

Ingredients

For the Scones:

• Water - You will need warm water for proofing the yeast and some cold water for the egg white wash for the scones.
• White Granulated Sugar -
• Active Dry Yeast - Any brand of active dry yeast will work. Be sure to check that it is not expired.
• All-Purpose Flour - Any brand of bleached all-purpose flour is good. I genenerally purchase whichever major brand is on sale.
• Baking Powder - Choose an aluminum free baking powder to avoid a bitter after taste.
• Salt - In baking I always choose a plain table salt like Morton. It has fine texture and gives consistent results.
• Shortening - Shortening gives a good crumb texture to the scones. I prefer an all vegetable shortening like Crisco.
• Whole Milk - Whole milk will give the best result in these scones.
• Vanilla Extract - I prefer a good quality vanilla extract. If staying on budget is important, choose a colorless imitation vanilla which is the most versatile for flavoring baked goods, frostings, and toppings.

Egg Wash & Sugar Topping:

• Egg White - Essential if you are going to top your scones with decorative sugar, an egg white wash will help decorative sugars stick to the top of the scone.
• Sparkling Decorative White Sugar - Any of the following sugar toppings can be used: decorative sparkling sugar in large or small crystals, opal sugar, edible glitter, or granulated white sugar.

Instructions

STEP 1 – Preheat the oven to 375°F/191°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Proof the yeast by mixing warm water, sugar, and dry active yeast in a small glass bowl.

STEP 2 – Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

STEP 3 – Cut in the cold shortening using a pastry cutter/blender. If you do not have a pastry cutter, you can use a large tined fork.

STEP 4 – Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk, vanilla extract, and the proofed yeast.

STEP 5 – Using a rubber spatula fold the flour ingredients into the wet ingredients.

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STEP 6 – Prepare a work surface by covering it with parchment paper and a dusting of flour.

Pat or roll the dough to be ¾” high. Using a direct up and down action, cut the scones with a 2 ½” heart-shaped cutter. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to aid in cutting.  Gather scraps, reform dough, and cut again.

STEP 7 – Place the scones 2” apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set the baking sheet in a warm place and let the scones rise for 30 minutes or until they are almost double in height.

Beat together the egg white and 2 tablespoons of cold water until frothy and well combined. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg white pastry wash and sprinkle them with sparkling sugar.

A pastry wash of only egg white and water will help the sugar stick to the scone and will not overly darken the top of the scone. If you want to know more about pastry washes you can get more information in my Pastry Washes Comparison Chart.

STEP 8 - Baking these adorable scones couldn’t be easier. Just pop them into a 375°F/191°C preheated oven and bake them until the edges are just barely beginning to brown. After baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Why This Recipe Works

• Since baking powder is the primary leavening in this recipe, the ratio of baking powder to flour of 1 teaspoon baking powder per 1 cup of flour, gives a good lift to the scones.
• Although yeast is added to this scone dough, it is a secondary leavening agent. More importantly, yeast adds an extra special flavor to the dough.
• The dough is very “short” meaning the scones have a high ratio of fat (shortening) to dry ingredients. This short dough makes a very tender scone.
• The vanilla extract gives a lovely scent and flavor that complements the yeast.

Can you substitute baking soda for baking powder?

Baking soda requires an acid to activate its leavening power. So, in this recipe, you can’t substitute baking soda for baking powder.

To learn more about leavening, check out my post, Green Dough, which will explain what you would need to be able to use baking soda.

Make Ahead and Storage

These really are best served on the same day as baked, but they will keep up to 2 days in a sealed container.

Although I created this recipe especially for Valentine’s Day, these heart-shaped scones would be lovely for Mother’s Day, anniversaries, afternoon tea, and even as a special wedding day breakfast.

If you love scones, check out my other scone recipe, Peanut Butter Scones, which has rich peanut butter flavor and is very simple to make!

📖 Recipe