My mother-in-law recently celebrated an important birthday. To make the milestone extra special, my in-laws rented a beautiful vacation home in Vermont and invited the extended family to stay for the weekend.

From where we live, driving to southern Vermont takes just over four hours. But the weekend was so incredible, and the environment was so relaxing, that it was hard to believe we were just a few hundred miles from home.

The oldest part of the rental home dated to the mid-1700s. But it had been expanded and restored lovingly through the years. It now has 7 bedrooms, 5.5 bathroom, and nearly 5,000 square feet. Despite the spaciousness, every room was warm, cozy, and welcoming. Staying in this home felt like stepping inside an issue of Martha Stewart Living. I mean, just look at this porch.

This is not my home...

I'd never been to Vermont before this trip, but I'm already itching to return. New England is famous for its vibrant fall foliage, with good reason. This was the view from the back porch:

These three beauties live on the property. They are rescue horses that will eventually be available for adoption.

When we weren't enjoying the beautiful scenery or watching the horses, we spent plenty of timing eating and laughing with family around this farmhouse table. This breakfast room faced the backyard.

The breakfast room was one of the newer parts of the home. The architects and builders did an incredible job of replicating the historic character that is in the oldest parts of the home so that the entire home felt like it was cohesive.

In short, it was the perfect place to spend a weekend away and I'm so grateful to my in-laws for arranging it.

I would give my right arm to have this fireplace and mantle in my home. Don't worry...I'm left-handed. 

Until we have a chance to make it back to Vermont in person, I'll just have to remember the weekend by whipping up a batch of these Maple Pecan Scones. These are different from a traditional scone recipe because there is no sugar in the dough. Rather, rich maple syrup provides subtle, natural sweetness. I like to sprinkle sugar on top of the dough before baking and drizzle a maple glaze to add a touch more sweetness.

Vermont Maple Syrup Scones

By The Papered House. Adapted from Simply in Season
Flavored with the richness of maple syrup and chopped pecans, these scones are perfect for any fall breakfast.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups  flour
• 1 cup  chopped pecans
• 4 tsp  baking powder
• 1 tsp  salt
• 1/2 tsp  cinnamon
• 2/3 cup  unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup  maple syrup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tb sugar
• 1 Tb milk, optional
• 1 Tb maple syrup, optional
• 2 Tb confectioner's sugar, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir together flour, pecans, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1 cup milk, until liquid is just incorporated. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead approximately 6 times, until dough is relatively smooth.
4. Pat dough into a rectangle, approximately .75" in thickness. If desired, sprinkle sugar on top of dough. Using a sharp knife, cut into eight squares. Then cut each diagonally into two triangles.
5. Transfer scones to lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden.
6. While scones are baking, mix together final three ingredients in a small bowl to form a glaze. As soon as scones come out of oven, drizzle glaze on top of baked scones. Allow to cool slightly, then serve.

Yield: 16 scones

Notes: Recipe can be cut in half for 8 scones.

Thanks for reading, friends! Here's one more shot of that gorgeous fall foliage, this time as we were leaving Vermont and headed back home.