Currently browsing author

Tina

Peach Blueberry Scones With Spice Frosting

It’s about half way through summer and I’m already starting to crave autumn-ish foods. I don’t know if that’s because I’m getting tired of summer foods or because I love the foods typically eaten in the autumn. I thought I’d whip up something to combine the best of both seasons.

These scones are loaded with peaches and blueberries and covered with a spice frosting.

Peach Blueberry Scones With Spice Frosting Recipe
(Makes 16 scones)

Ingredients for Spice Frosting:

1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon allspice
7 teaspoons milk

Ingredients for Scones:

1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (equivalent to 2 sticks), cold and cut into chunks
1 egg
1 peach, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup blueberries

Directions for Spice Frosting:

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, allspice, and milk until it is a frosting-like consistency. (Make sure the butter is room temperature so that the frosting comes out smooth.)

Directions for Scones:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an 8 scone pan and set it aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and baking soda. Set it aside.
In a very large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
Add the cold butter chunks and mix all of the ingredients together with a pastry blender or a with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.
Mix in the sour cream mixture and egg.
Gently stir in the blueberries and chopped peaches.
Scoop the dough into an 8 section scone pan, filling each section about 3/4 full. You will do this twice to get 16 scones in total. (* See note below if you do not have a scone pan.)
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
Let the scones rest in the pan until they have cooled before taking them out. (This is easy because you literally can’t get them out of the pan without destroying them until they have cooled.)
Once the scones have cooled completely, spread the spice frosting on the top of each scone.

* Note: If you do not have a scone pan, do not worry. All Recipes gives step by step instructions for this scone recipe using a baking sheet.

Spice Frosting adapted from: Betty Crocker

Scones adapted from: All Recipes

You start this scone baking adventure by mixing all of the dry ingredients (even the sugar, which is sometimes considered a wet ingredient in other recipes) with the cold butter. The butter pieces should be visible at this point.

Here’s a little Science 101 (well, sort of science-y)… Cold butter is important here because it creates pockets of steam when they get hot in the oven during baking, which causes the scones to rise in the oven. This will give you some fluffy scones.

I’m sure many of you are tired of hearing this (from me or anyone else), but it’s worth repeating… Do not over mix the dough when you add in the rest of the ingredients. You want to mix until the ingredients are just combined (i.e. no visible dry ingredients). This will help yield a soft and tender scone. Over mixing lets all the delicious gluten out of the flour and that will make for some tough scones. (“Which is not good eats.”)

I made Blueberry Scones last year and that recipe is still a fantastic one. However, I wanted to a try a new recipe because… well, because I can. I had never made scones with sour cream before. These scones are more moist and tender. Thank you, sour cream.

I tried to capture how lovely they are on the inside. They are super tender and a tad crumbly, just the way a scone should be.

Let’s talk about the flavors going on here. Peaches and blueberries are an awesome combo (and one of my husband’s favorite pies). Then I went ahead and topped these scones with a spice frosting. Or is it called a spice glaze? I never know the difference between them. The notorious autumnal spice tastes super delicious with the summery fruits.

I brought these breakfast treats to Lake George and I think these were the biggest hit out of everything I made.

Anyone up for some scones for breakfast or tea time?

Rating:

Here are some other yummy breakfast goodies.

Strawberry Hand Pies

Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

Light Chocolate Chip Muffins

Currently browsing author

Tina

Strawberry Hand Pies

Being a perfectionist is a lot of work. I’ve made these strawberry hand pies twice now. Why? Not because they are mad delicious (which of course they are) and I want to make them for everyone I know (which I do because they get amazing reviews). Instead it was because I wasn’t happy with the photographs. I seriously need to take a chill pill! The one good thing out of this whole ordeal is that my husband and I get to eat more awesome hand pies!

Strawberry Hand Pies Recipe
(Makes 9 hand pies)
Note: This recipe requires 1 hour of chilling time.

Ingredients for the Pastry:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cold (equivalent to 2 sticks)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg, beaten (for brushing on top of the hand pies)
sprinkling of white sparking sugar (optional, for the top of the hand pies)

Ingredients for the Filling:

1 and 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions for the Pastry:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut the cold butter into several chunks.
Using a pastry blender or your fingers, add the chunks of butter to the dry ingredients and combine until the mixture resembles course crumbs.
Mix in the egg and milk until combined.
Divide the dough in half.
Lightly flour your working surface and shape each half of the dough into 3 inch x 5 inch rectangles.
Wrap them each in plastic wrap and chill them for 1 hour.

Directions for the Filling:

In a medium sauce pan, on Medium heat, mix together the roughly chopped strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
Cook until the mixture starts to thicken. (For me, it was about 5 minutes.)
Using a pastry blender or fork, mash the strawberries until you get the consistency you desire. (The strawberries can be chunky or smaller, whatever you prefer.)
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.

Directions for Assembling the Hand Pies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set them aside.
Lightly flour your working surface.
Take one of the rectangle shaped dough pieces and roll it out to a 9 inch x 12 inch rectangle.
Trim the edges to make them even and straight.
Using a knife, cut out nine 3 inch x 4 inch rectangles.
Move the 9 pieces to one of the prepared baking pans.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of each hand pie.
Brush some of the beaten egg along the edges.
Repeat steps #3 through #6 for the other piece of dough.
Place the 9 pieces on top of the bottom half of the hand pies.
Using a fork, press the edges together to create a tight seal.
Gently cut a vent on the top of each hand pie. (I used 4 slits.)
Brush the top of each hand pie with the beaten egg.
(Optional) Sprinkle some white sparkling sugar on top of each hand pie.
Bake them in the preheated oven for about 28 minutes or until lightly golden brown. (I baked 1 baking pan at a time.)

Adapted from: King Arthur Flour

If you know how to make pie or scones then you’ve totally got this. The only trick to making the pastry dough is that you have to use cold butter. Easy peezy, right? This shot is before the egg and milk join the party.

You have to let the pastry dough chill out in the fridge for a little bit. At this point it’s too soft to roll out.

These hand pies are not difficult to make, but they can be a perfectionist’s nightmare. When the original recipe directions say to roll out the dough into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle, guess who’s there with a ruler? I wish I was kidding. You don’t have to be so precise. Homemade hand pies can look rustic and homey and no one will grumble while they are busy shoving them in their faces. These hand pies are so delicious that it was worth all my efforts, all be it crazy ones.

When I finished baking the last batch, I’m pretty sure I told my husband I’d never make them again. Don’t worry, that was just me in a moment of frustration and it has since passed. Obviously I was even willing to make the same flavor a second time just to make sure I liked the pictures. I’ll definitely be making these hand pies again and experimenting with other flavors.

Make sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. When you bake these, some of the butter will seep out of the pies and sometimes a little of the filling. (Both of which are okay, but a bit scary if you’re watching them bake like a neurotic hawk.) With the lining on the pans they will be easier to wash later.

Did you eat Pop Tarts when you were a kid? Maybe you still do. Lol. My favorite flavor was the cinnamon filled ones with frosting on top. Mmm. These hand pies remind me of how I’d use to grab a pop tart on the way to the bus stop. (Strawberry is nothing like cinnamon so I guess it’s really the shape and concept that gets me reminiscing.) My husband fondly remembers the invention of the Toaster Strudel and honestly he may be on to something since these are closer to those than Pop Tarts.

This pastry is phenomenal. It’s so buttery and flaky and it melts in your mouth. It’s like a puff pastry meets a traditional pie crust meets a croissant. How does it do that?

I had a few scraps of pastry dough leftover so I made a couple of heart shaped pieces. Cute, right? Waste not want not.

11Strawberry Hand Pies

This past weekend was our family vacation in Lake George. We had a fabulous time and I’ll be sure to include more details soon. In the mean time I’ll tell you that my family totally gobbled down these awesome hand pies for breakfast (or lunch, dinner, snacks, just because, or any other reason they could come up with). The only complaint they had was that I didn’t make enough!

I’ve never made strawberry “jam” until now. That’s essentially what this luscious filling is. Who knew a bunch of strawberries could so easily turn into strawberry goo (yes, that’s a technical term). These hand pies would be great to make in the middle of winter because with little more than an adjustment of the cooking time you could probably make them with frozen strawberries. As a winter twist you could serve them fresh out of the oven with a little vanilla ice cream.

13Strawberry Hand Pies

I love the crystal sugar on top. It’s not strictly necessary but it sure does make them look pretty. Plus they add a little crunch to every bite. Is extra sugar ever strictly necessary? I say it is.