Scones are just an all-around special breakfast treat. They seem so fancy! We love them with a bit of a shortbread texture … nice and crispy on the edges. What makes them especially fun is the myriad ways you can make them, from plain or with currants, to fancy with caramelized apples or toasted pecans with maple glaze. You can add oats, or you can leave them plain and you can use part whole wheat flour for a little nubbier version. Having a favorite scone recipe is kind of like having a blank (albeit tasty) canvas for cooking with your favorite flavors and colors and textures.
Almond Scones with Berry Icing
We find that the best way to get the berry juice, is to simply thaw out about 1 cup of frozen berries in a strainer placed over a bowl, and as they thaw, the juices will drip into the bowl. Then you use this juice as the main liquid for the icing.Because we prefer a shortbread texture for our scones, our basic recipe does not call for eggs. Instead, we simply use flour, sugar, baking powder, a little salt, some kind of flavoring extract, and butter.
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter (cold and cut into small 1/2-inch cubes)
- 2 1/2 oz. almond paste, cut into small pieces (Odense makes this)
- 3/4 +/- cup cream (or milk)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Garnishes: 1 recipe Berry Icing (below)
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
Berry Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons berry juice (the best is to thaw frozen berries and use the resulting juices)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk (may not need this depending upon the berry juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425⁰. Prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- With a pastry cutter, or your fingertips, cut butter into flour mixture until well blended and butter is reduced to tiny pea-size pieces.
- Now, cut the almond paste into the mixture using the same pastry cutter and method.
- Stir almond extract into the cream. With a large fork or spoon, stir the cream with almond extract into the flour-butter mixture. Blend well. Form into a ball, and on a floured cutting board, press the ball into a flat circle with your hands. The circle should be about 8-inches in diameter for taller shorter scones and 10 inches for flatter, longer scones, and roughly 3/4 to one-inch thick.
- Using a long knife, cut the dough into 12 even triangles and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes, or until tops begin to turn golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Using a fork or spoon, drizzle the berry icing over the top, and while the icing is still moist, garnish each scone with toasted, sliced almonds.
- Eat right away, or refrigerate until ready to serve. We like these scones served at room temperature, so be sure to take them out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. You can also toast them up in the toaster oven if you prefer them warm.
Berry Icing
- While the scones are baking, mix the powdered sugar with the berry juice and vanilla extract to make the icing. The consistency should easily drop from a spoon or fork, but not be too runny. If the icing is too firm, simply add a little milk, and if it’s too runny, whisk in a little more sifted powdered sugar.
- Distribute the icing evenly over the tops of the scones by drizzling it from a fork or spoon. Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over the top of the icing.
- These store well in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days up to a week. They can also be frozen. They are super tasty at room temp, but we also love them reheated in a toaster oven!
