My friend Jon and I have a “mild” obsession with all things Starbucks. We’d call each other up and “place” our order on the weekends if we were seeing each other later that day because more likely than not, one of us would cave and get themselves a tall vanilla half sweet lactaid latte (me) or venti vanilla rooibus tea with two pumps sugar-free vanilla syrup, extra milk and two sweeteners (him).
A few weeks ago, he asked me to get three vanilla bean scones with his “usual”. I had to visit a few locations just to find those dang scones and when I finally found them at a nearby Starbucks, I thought, “I COULD MAKE THESE!” Remember that jar of vanilla bean paste I brought back from Hong Kong which is 1/2 done already? I could use the scones as an excuse to use the paste.. (like I need one anyway!) 
Excess vanilla glaze dripped off the scones and formed cute little puddles
I made these the same day we went to dinner @ La Vecchia–they literally came out of the oven 5 minutes before I had to leave. I threw them all in a white bakery box lined with wax paper and poured the vanilla bean glaze like a crazy woman before rushing out. The smell was intoxicating. It was the sweetest, most fragrant aroma and during the 45 minute car ride there, the scones were beckoning me, calling out to me to open the box and take a whiff. Talk about temptation, huh?
When we got to the restaurant, it was PACKED. Our whole party had arrived and we were all HUNGRY. I gave the box to Jon and told him to smell it first because to me, not only should food taste good (#1), it should also look good (#2) and smell amazzzzing. Jon popped one in his mouth and passed the box along to each person at the table. He LOVED it (mission accomplished) and described it as just the right amount of sweetness, airy and buttery all at the same time.
The FUNNIEST part was when my brother ate one, his eyes grew wide and said, “WHERE DID YOU BUY THIS FROM?”… I guess since it as packed in a white bakery box, he thought I had picked it up en route to the restaurant. I’m like, “Sweet Escapes?”… he practically spit the scone out in disbelief. He never knew I made scones and thought I was a one-dimensional cupcake company. Um, not even.
You have to understand that my brother NEVER compliments me–EVER! I made cinnabons once and he said they were “DISGUSTING” and asked if he could have some more so that no one else would have to go through the pain of eating it. NICE TRY. So for him to compliment my scones, it was actually a lot bigger than what it seems!
