Apricot Cream Cheese Scones

Submitted by Pinay0618

"The cooling weather always puts me in the mood to bake, and this is on my list of things to try. I'm drooling already!"

 

• Ready In: 28mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 18 scones
• Serves: 18

ingredients

• 3 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces package cream cheese (cold)
• 1⁄2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup diced dried apricot
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• sparkling white sugar, for topping

directions

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cream cheese and butter, using your fingers, a pastry blender, fork, or a mixer, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, then stir in the apricots. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and milk.
2. Combine the liquid and dry ingredients and stir until the dough becomes cohesive. Don't mix and mix and mix; the more you work with the dough, the tougher it'll get.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and fold it over several times, until it holds together. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle.
4. Cut scones with a round cutter, gathering the scraps and re-rolling the dough. Or simply cut the dough into squares or diamonds. Brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sparkling white or pearl sugar.
5. Place scones about 2 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them in a preheated 425°F oven for 8 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the door closed, and continue to bake for 8 more minutes, until the scones are a light, golden brown. Serve hot, with clotted cream and jam or raspberry curd.

Reviews

[LonghornMama]

Really good! Tender and flaky inside with a crisp outer edge. Used regular cream cheese, salted butter, and natural sugar on top. Used apricots but another dried fruit (blueberries, cherries...) would be wonderful, too. Not overly sweet, but I'd hate to use jam because they're so good as is. Baking directions were spot on. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

 

[Dobbys Mom]

I would give this recipe 10 stars if there were that many! I made these for Mother's Day breakfast because they looked easy and fast. WOW!! they are fabulous! This is as good as our professional bakery makes . This is fast, easy and TASTY! I used dried cranberries and orange oil instead of apricots (didn't have any) and reduced the vanilla to 1/2 tsp. Next time I make them I am going to use dried mangoes.