Apricot Scones with Almond Glaze
Apricot Scones are an utterly delicious treat with an irresistibly buttery, light, and flaky crumb. These teatime favorites, with a hint of almond and warm spice, are perfect for late summer tea, brunches, snacks, or coffee.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 208kcal
Ingredients
Apricot Scones
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter cubed (1 ½ sticks)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 fresh apricots peeled and chopped small
Almond Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon warm water melted
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Apricot Scones
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients with a fork, fingers, or pastry cutter.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and knead slightly to bring the dough together. For soft and tender scones, be careful not to overknead the dough.
- Pat the dough into a rectangle, using flour as needed. Sprinkle the chopped apricots over the top. Using a bench scraper, fold each short end of the rectangle toward the middle of the dough, overlapping each other. Then fold the dough in half, rotate one-quarter turn, and flatten the dough gently. Repeat the folding toward the center one more time. Use flour as needed. Then, shape the dough into 2 circle shapes about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick for small scones or one circle for larger scones.
- Cut the circle or circles of dough into 8 equal-size wedges and place slightly separated on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with additional buttermilk or an egg wash.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden brown. If the scones are especially small, begin checking at 10 minutes.
Almond Glaze
- Combine the powdered sugar, almond extract, and water in a small bowl. Whisk until the lumps disappear and add water if needed to reach drizzling consistency. Once the scones have cooled, drizzle each scone with the glaze.
Notes
Tips for Making Apricot Scones
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- Tip 1: Use ripe but over-ripe apricots. If they are especially juice, lay them on a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture before incorporating them into the dough.
- Tip 2: When cutting the butter into the flour, ensure no large clumps of butter remain. You want a sandy-type texture for light and fluffy scones.
- Tip 3: Be careful not to over-knead the dough. The more you knead, the less the scones will rise.
- Tip 4: Use fresh baking powder.
- Tip 5: Drizzle glaze with a whisk. Drizzling glaze with a whisk gives me just the right amount for scones.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg