Pear & Almond Scones
Sweet scones filled with fresh pear and topped with flaked almonds- a perfect treat for an afternoon tea with a twist, or a Bridgerton watch party!
Servings 30 scones
Equipment
- 5cm Fluted round cutter
Ingredients
- 2 large pears
- 500 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting.
- 1 rounded tsp baking powder
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and diced.
- 65 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 200 ml whole milk, plus extra for brushing.
- 3 drops vanilla extract
- Large handful of flaked almonds
To serve:
- Clotted cream & jam (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (conventional oven). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- Peel and core the pears, then either roughly grate or finely dice (see Note 1). If grating, transfer the grated pear to a clean tea towel and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Set aside.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub together, using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar to the bowl and stir through. Add the prepared pear and mix until evenly distributed.
- Whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla extract in a jug, then add to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough starts to come together, then use your hands to bring it into a rough dough, being careful not to overwork it.
- Tip the dough onto a clean, floured surface and pat/roll it into a disk about 3cm thick. Stamp out the scones using a fluted round cutter, making sure to dip the cutter in flour between each cut. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking tray as you go.
- Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk, then sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes or so, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving with clotted cream and jam, if desired. Scones are best eaten on the day that they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 2-3 days (if you don't mind them drying out a little!).
Notes
- Grated pear will yield slightly moister scones, whereas the pear flavour will be more pronounced if diced pear is used. Grated pear will also make it easier to cut neat scones.