Psst...Noelle's birthday is tomorrow. My beautiful and talented sister is celebrating her day.
By beautiful I mean:
Big brown eyes that captivate anyone in the same room.
A smile wide and welcoming.
And an infectious laugh that makes me feel like I can do anything....like it's just the two of us again, conquering backyard villains and outsmarting the neighborhood boys.
I told you she was beautiful. 
By talented I mean:One smart-cookie. Not only is she in the midst of nursing school, but her GPA is PERFECT, and she's well on on her way to a PhD.
And her maturity? Well, she out-paces almost anyone I know. She's level-headed AND compassionate. She doesn't spend her weekends partying...instead, she invests in relationships worth preserving, and then she studies (quite a bit more).
Ryan made her this owl necklace (which is on it's way, Noelle!)
And I made these cinnamon sugar scones in her honor.
Instead of the traditional method of pressing the dough into a large round and then cutting it into triangles, I dropped tablespoon-size balls of dough into a mini muffin pun and then generously sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon sugar on top.
These cinnamon sugar scones are a delightfully easy twist on a classic. They are something Noelle and I would share....over a cup of tea...if we didn't live in opposite sides of the country right now (sometimes it feels like opposite sides of the world).
Noelle, I love you. I am so proud of you. I wish I could be with you on your big day, but please know that you are my best friend, always and forever.
Cinnamon Sugar Scones2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix together your cinnamon and brown sugar, set aside. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. Distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Using your fingers, form small, tablespoon sized balls and place one in each muffin tin. You should have enough dough for at least 32 mini scones. Now, sprinkle each tin with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Don't worry if it falls off the top and into the bottom of the muffin tin.
6. Place in preheated oven and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Always,
Monet
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