The combinations of nuts and dried fruit that work in scones are endless. Those that work perfectly are fewer. All-time favorites include apricot-pecan, cranberry (or cherry)-almond and pear hazelnut. Adapted from The Grand Central Baking Book by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson, Ten Speed Press, 2009.
- Prep Time :
20 min - Cook Time :
30 min - Ready Time :
50 min
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 -1/2
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 butter unsalted, cold
- 1 dried fruit
- 1/2 cup nuts lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- egg wash
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare dry ingredients
Measure flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl with high sides.
Cut in butter.
Dice butter in 1/2-inch cubes and use the paddle attachment to incorporate into dry ingredients until butter pieces are the size of almonds. Add dried fruit and nuts. (Sidebar)
Add eggs and buttermilk.
Whisk eggs and buttermilk together and add two-thirds of mixture to dry ingredients. Gently mix the dough just until it comes together before adding remaining buttermilk mixture; it will look rough. Scrape the dough from sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again to incorporate any floury scraps. The majority of the dough will have collected on the fork or the paddle. Stop mixing. There will be visible chunks of butter and flour. The dough should come out of the bowl in one piece leaving some small scraps and flour around sides of the bowl.
Form and cut dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather and pat it 2 to 3 times to get the dough to come together. The top won’t be smooth, but the rough surface creates a crunch that is part of scones’ charm. Gently form dough into a 7 to 8-inch disk, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut the disk into 6 pie-shaped wedges. To make smaller scones, divide and pat the dough into two 4 to 5-inch disks. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and cut each disk into 6 pie-shaped pieces.
Bake scones.
Place scones on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper leaving 1-1/2-inches between the large scones. Bake in the middle of the oven, 30 to 35 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for small scones), rotating the pan front to back halfway through the baking time. The finished scones will be golden brown.
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Pinch salt
Whisk ingredients together and brush on product before baking.