Apricot Scones |

In celebration of Brit Week, I had to share my tried-and-true scones recipe. Didn’t know it was Brit Week? No? Well, that’s because I made it up. Yes, I’ve deemed this whole week all things British, all the time. So what’s Brit Week without a scones recipe then?

This deliciously simple recipe is from Amanda Hesser’s New York Times Cookbook — it’s one of my favs. Here’s the link if you want to buy it online (Amazon always seems to have the best prices for cookbooks). The recipe allows for flavor additions easily, so this time I tried making them with stone fruit. I’ve also tried them with lemon zest. Apricots are abundant right now and make a great, seasonal addition to this recipe. Stone fruit and taste sour when baked, so I made sure to mix the apricots with sugar prior to combining the other ingredients together. The nutmeg was a necessary addition too because it really brings out the flavor of the apricot. Get creative as well–it will be totally worth it! Enjoy them for breakfast or for an afternoon tea, Cheerio!

Apricot Scones

Note: You can serve them naked without the apricots; it’s just what was growing in my garden. If you decide not to include the fruit, omit the 2 tablespoons sugar.

Apricot Scones

Adapted from: The Essential New York Times Cookbook: May 31, 1998 “Food: Jam Session,” by Molly O’ Neill.

Makes 18 small scones

3 apricots, diced (or 1 cup diced stone fruit of your choice)

1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones

Sanding sugar or raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. Stir apricots with 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and set aside. Mix all the dry ingredients together—flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add apricots and juices to the dry ingredients. Add 1 ¼ cup cream, and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spoon. Work quickly, stirring as little as possible, until soft, shaggy dough forms. Add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems too dry.

Use an ice cream scooper (about 3 tablespoons) to form dough into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet, allowing at least 2 inches between the scones. Brush the top of each with heavy cream and then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.