Free The Cheese Board by Cheese Board Collective Staff Page A

and add the pumpkin mixture. Mix briefly with the spoon, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    Gently shape the dough into balls about 2¼ inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
    For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on the top of the scones. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
     
    Over the years I have actually seen some of the customers more than my dearest, closest friends, so in a way they have become dear, close friends, because they are the ones I do get to see on a daily basis.
    —VICKI

    Maple Pecan Scones
    This scone is different from our usual scone because it has an additional step. Maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar are combined to form a glaze that is spooned on top of each scone. It is important to wait 10 minutes before glazing them. If the scones are hot, the glaze becomes too thin and runs off; if the scones have completely cooled, the glaze will sit on top of them instead of spreading over them.
    MAKES 10 TO 12 SCONES
    Preparation time including baking: 1 hour
    3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    ¾ cup sugar
    1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans
    ¾ cup heavy cream
    ¾ cup buttermilk
    Glaze
    ⅔ cup maple syrup
    1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
    Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
    If using a stand mixer, add the salt and sugar to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the pecans. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    If making by hand, add the salt and sugar to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the pecans. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    Gently shape the dough into balls about 2¼ inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
    Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
    To make the glaze, 5 minutes before the scones come out of the oven, pour the maple syrup into a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the confectioners’ sugar to make a smooth mixture.
    Line a work surface with newspaper and place a wire rack on top. Transfer the scones to the rack. Let cool for 10 minutes, then pour 1 tablespoonful maple glaze over the top of each scone. Let the glaze set before serving.
     
    When I started working here, I thought that it was just like any other job and that I was an employee. Then people all around me started talking about motivation. They told me to start thinking like an owner. Suddenly, I came to realize that I was a part owner of the business. It was a dream fulfilled. I never thought I would ever own a business, and here it was, part mine.
    —ARTEMIO
     
    Ultimately, you know in a collective that if you choose to take a stand and live by it and assert yourself you can’t be fired. It’s not that way in the real world, where you have to do what somebody else tells you to do, and therein lies the difference.
    —VICKI
    Corn Cherry Scones
    A few years ago,