Peaches and Cream Scones Recipe

Stone fruits are still filling up farmer’s market stands around town just calling for me to make something with them. I took the liberty to take advantage of it in a flavorful scone recipe – a delicious spin-off of my berries and cream scones I made around this time, last year.  I bet this would taste equally good with cherries, nectarines or apricots, before their season is over.

Our drive back from Austin last month was lined with peach orchards and peach stands for miles, and we were compelled to pull over and pick up a basket. Fresh peaches have the sweetest scent a fruit can have in my opinion, smelling just like the taste – delicious. By the time we got home, we ate all that was left of our peach basket. Lucky for me, the farmer’s market has a nice variety that resupplied my peach fix, along with yummy apricots. I just need to master my peach jam making skills before summer ends. I made a delicious apricot jam, but thought a peach-apricot jam sounded like an interesting duo. If it turns out OK, don’t be surprised to see here on ELDO.

Ingredients – Updated: it is imperative to make sure your butter and cream cheese is chilled and taken out of the refrigerator right before it will need to be used – otherwise it will affect the outcome of the scones. Also, if you prefer a less sweet scone, skip sprinkling sugar over  cubed cream cheese. Another suggestion that I often do is after the dough has been rolled and cut into scone shapes, I like to place the dough into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to let the dough get extra-chilled, making an extra flaky scone.

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 sticks (approx. 1 1/2 cups) of unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup organic heavy cream
• 1-2 fresh peaches, or canned peaches (skinned and chopped to fill about 1 cups worth)
• 6 ounces of cream cheese, chilled and cubed (then lightly dusted with 2 tablespoons of cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, mix sugar, 4 cups of flour, salt, and baking powder together until combined. Add chilled, cubed butter and mix on medium-low until butter is pea size and dough is crumbly. Next, in a separate small bowl, beat eggs with heavy cream until creamy. Pour egg-cream mixture into crumbly dough. Mix on a medium speed until just incorporated (about 30 seconds).

Mix in last 1/2 cup of flour.

Next, plop dough onto a well floured surface. Gently fold in chopped peaches.

Next, lightly sprinkle chilled, cubed cream cheese with sugar and gently fold into dough (you’ll want to be extra gentle to make sure the cubes of cream cheese stay in tact, that’s the key to getting those yummy pockets of cream cheese every other bite – it is best to fold this in by hand).

Begin to flatten it out to 1 1/2 – 2 inch thickness (I used my hands, but a roller works too). Cut into squares, then cut diagonally to create triangles.  Place scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with egg  mixture (mixture:  1 egg mixed plus 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, lightly beaten) and sprinkle lightly with cane sugar, raw sugar, or turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.