Pear & Almond  Scones

These are the perfect scones for a peaceful time of day. The soft flavors remind me of spring. This recipe is inspired by scones that I had at a cafe in Belfast. It is written for those that are in the US. If you are from the UK, I can give you the modifications.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of self-rising flour, plus some for dusting

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ stick of butter, cubed

1 pinch of salt

½ cup of natural or Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten in a small bowl

1 pear, peeled and cut into small pieces

¼ cup of flaked almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F, or 200C

First combine the flour, baking powder, butter, and salt and put it into a medium bowl. You can do this using a food processor, pastry cutter, or just pinch the butter in until the butter is fully incorporated. I do like the feeling of getting my hand in there, because there is something relaxing about feeling the butter working into the flour. It also saves you less dishes. The food processor is faster though, after processing it, pour it into a medium bowl. 

Make a well in the center and add the yogurt, vanilla, and most of the egg. (just save a little bit to make an egg wash). Stir with a wooden spoon till almost combined; add the pear and fold in.

It will be a slightly sticky dough.

Form it into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and press down till it is an eight-inch thick disk. Take a floured knife and cut into eight triangles.

Place triangles, points facing inward, on a well greased pan. I like to have it pretty heavily greased because I like how is crisps the bottom and edges. Using a pastry brush, glaze the tops and the sides with the remainder of the egg. Then take the flaked almonds and place some on top of each scone. 

Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to rest for one minute on the pan before placing on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cooled by itself or with some sweet cream, butter, or jam. 

These are especially good fresh. You can revive that freshness just by placing in a toaster oven or oven for a few minutes to heat them up. If you do happen to have leftovers, just store in an airtight container for up to a week.