Ingredients at the ready : egg, cream cheese, butter, flour, salt, onion, pumpkin, sage, walnuts, hot pepper. 

First things first -- the dough. Merrill employs the trusty scoop and scrape.

Butter awaits pulverization. 

Cream cheese, sliced and ready to join its buttery companion. 

Butter, flour, cream cheese, salt. A whir of the blade. Dough! 

Turn out onto parchment paper. 

Pat into a round that will be easy to roll out. 

Merrill tucks in the dough for an enviable two hour nap in the fridge. 

Now for a little chopping. Shallots! Two big ones! 

Sage! 

Walnuts! Chopped as finely as patience allows. 

Shallots go for a dip in hot oil. 

Followed quickly by pumpkin, sage and those hot hot chile flakes. 

The dough is awake! Get rolling. 

The filling is cooled and the dough is rolled out. Spread! 

Slice into dainty triangles. 

Rugelach roll-ups. 

If this doesn't melt your heart, nothing will. 

All that work is but a distant memory. 

Just try to resist us. Just try. Our savory, butter-flakey, nut-studdedness will not be denied.  

The lineup: butter, walnuts, milk, yogurt, flour (we used whole wheat and all-purpose), sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sage, maple syrup, and confectioner's sugar.

We love that MGrace uses the Cook's Illustrated technique of grating the butter.

Aren't the butter peelings beautiful?

Amanda assembles dry ingredients -- flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt -- while Merrill finishes up the butter.

Ribbons of chopped sage (you can add more if you like!)

Set aside these chopped walnuts -- you'll use them in just a bit.

The genius of using grated butter is revealed: just mix it into the dry ingredients, no pastry cutter needed!

After stirring in the milk and yogurt, A&M prepare to shape the (hilarious, apparently) dough.

Press the dough together, flatten it...

And fold it into thirds. It's ready to chill in the freezer!

Meanwhile, the glaze: great things are about to happen to this butter.

When the butter is brown-flecked and smells deliciously nutty, stir in the maple syrup.

Whisk the confectioner's sugar to the bubbling mix.

A splash of milk or cream will loosen the glaze, and you're all ready!

Meanwhile, remove the chilled dough from the freezer and press the three layers into one.

Spread the chopped walnuts evenly over the dough -- you want them in every bite!

Fold the dough in half to trap the walnuts inside and shape it into a square -- you'll cut your scones from this rectangle.

Four gorgeous scones, ready for the oven.

Spoon the glaze over the warm scones -- it will harden as they cool.

Breakfast is served!