Pear Scones with Almond Glaze

The simple act of trying to use up a fruit or veggie to avoid throwing it away can lead to awesome discoveries, some delicious little dish that you might not have considered without prompting.  We had a couple of pears that were this close to being a waste.  It drives me nuts to be wasteful and throwing away food that had potential to be some kind of goodness is the worst offense.  So these pears that were almost a victim of the non-cooking period as moved to a new apartment led to the discovery of two perfectly delectable dishes. 

We lean towards the savory for breakfast in our home.  But every once in a while inspiration for a baked breakfast treat will strike, this time it was in those very ripe pears.  I hunted a bit for a pear scone recipe but found myself pulling out the Joy of Cooking for a super simple, low number of ingredients, classic for my base.    As I mixed in the super juicy diced pear I believed these scones would be a big huge fail.  But a tiny bit more flour for the kneading balanced out the extra juice.

I find pear to be subtle.  The flavor doesn’t really jump out and compete for your attention.  So while a little cinnamon adds to these scones, I kept it to a scant ½ teaspoon to avoid turning them into a cinnamon scone.

Baking for breakfast really sets up the atmosphere for your day to be a cozy one.  The aroma is a lovely prelude to the treat of scones and coffee (or tea) to be followed by reading the paper under a cozy throw.

Pear Scones with Almond Glaze

Adapted from the Classic Scones in Joy of Cooking

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup diced pear
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tsp cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.  Then cut in the butter with pastry blender until the largest pices are the size of peas and it resembles bread crumbs.  Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste.  Stir in the pears and cinnamon.

Whisk together in a small bowl the egg and heavy cream.  With a rubber spatula mix the egg mixture in with the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Bather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, pressing any loose pieces into the dough and adding a tiny bit of flour if your pears are very juicy. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat it into an 8 inch round about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut into 8 or 12 wedges and place at least 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the 2 to 3 tsp cream or milk.

Bake until tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.  While they bake stir together the glaze.  Allow to cool on a rack, drizzling with glaze while still warm.

Almond Glaze

2/3 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup toasted almonds, crushed or sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Stir everything together, adding additional lemon juice until at desired consistency. 

 So I did mention that those pears led to two yummy discoveries, the gooey pear dessert will be up next!

Enjoy!



Comments

[holly p]

I love pears. The scones look delicious...I might have to make some!