Fresh Apricot Scones with Ginger and White Chocolate Chunks
Makes 8 scones
Ingredients
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
½ cup buttermilk (see notes*)
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
¾ cup fresh or frozen apricots (see notes**)
½ cup roughly chopped white chocolate
Finish:
heavy cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon Demerara sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, almond extract and ginger; mix well.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the apricots and white chocolate.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a ¾"-thick rectangle. Fold the dough in half, turn it 90 degrees and pat into a ¾"-thick rectangle. Repeat the process, flouring your work surface as necessary to prevent sticking.
Cut out scones with a round cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Press together scraps and cut out one or two more scones.
Brush tops of scones with heavy cream or half-and-half, and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
*I rarely buy buttermilk because it's so easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand. Just pour 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk (I used almond, but any kind will do) to hit the ½-cup line. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until curdled. **If using fresh apricots, freeze them for at least one hour before folding them into the dough.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/fresh-apricot-scones/