Apple and Pear Scones
My Apple and Pear Scones are lightly sweet, with a crisp outside but a tender inside. My recipe is flavored lightly with brown sugar but has no cinnamon!
Servings: 8
Calories: 320kcal
Equipment
- pastry cutter
- bench scraper
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar (55 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 8 tablespoons butter (cold and diced) (113 grams)
- ½ cup apple (60 grams, finely chopped, packed into the measuring cup)
- ½ cup pear (80 grams, finely chopped)
- ⅔ cup buttermilk or sour milk (150 grams)
Topping
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Mix together flour, ¼ cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a spoon to break up any clumps of brown sugar.
- Add cubes of cold butter, and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.
- Dice your apple and pear immediately before adding to the flour, so that they don't discolor. Toss with the flour mixture, breaking up the fruit so it doesn't stick together.
- Use a fork to stir in buttermilk, mixing until dough is just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 9-inch round. Cut into 8 wedges, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Separate scones and place on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet, leaving room between the wedges because they will expand in the oven.
- Optionally, chill the scone dough for 15 minutes before baking, to allow the butter to firm back up so the scones rise higher.
- Bake in a 375F oven for about 20-25 minutes, until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.
Storage
- Serve immediately; scones are at their best when warm and fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Reheat leftover scones by transferring to a plate and microwaving for 5-10 seconds.
Make-Ahead
- You can make and shape the scones, then freeze them before baking. Transfer to a freezer-safe zipper bag.
- Bake, without thawing, at 375F for 22-27 minutes. Parts of the dough touching the fruit, however, may not bake fully.
Notes
I dice my butter immediately before adding it to the flour mixture. Cold butter helps the scones rise.
I dice my apple and pear immediately before adding to the flour-butter mixture so that they don't discolor, which they do when exposed to air. Expect to use 1 apple and 1 pear for this recipe. Peeling is optional, based on your preference.
Make sour milk to replace buttermilk by combining 2 teaspoons white vinegar with enough milk to equal ⅔ cup. You can also substitute a mixture of yogurt with milk for the buttermilk.
Use flavorful fruit. I try to cut mine as small as possible. Last time I made these, I used a Pink Lady apple and a ripe Bartlett pear, which I was pleased with.
Mix scone dough as little as possible; mixing activates gluten, which will make baked goods tough.
Adapted from a recipe on a website called Group Recipes in 2012. However, I removed the link at some point; it must have changed and become spammy.
Calorie count calculated in MyNetDiary and is an estimate only.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcal
