Scones are a delicious and versatile addition to any breakfast or brunch spread, making them an excellent and tasty option for special occasions like Mother’s Day. These tender, flaky apricot scones are easy to make and can easily be adapted for various ingredient preferences. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or just want to enjoy a simple breakfast treat, this recipe delivers simple steps with delicious results.
What Is a Scone?
Scones are lightly sweetened, biscuit-like pastries traditionally enjoyed with tea or coffee. While most commonly triangular in shape, scones can also be baked in a round or even square-shape. Scones can be made sweet or savory and are easily adaptable for those with dietary restrictions or allergies.
Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)
Half-and-Half – adds moisture and richness. Heavy whipping cream can also be used.
Eggs – provide structure and help to bind the dough.
All-Purpose Flour – forms the base of the scone and provides structure.
Baking Powder – adds lift and tenderness.
Salt – balances the sweetness while enhancing the flavor.
Butter – cold butter helps tenderize and create flaky layers in the scone.
Apricots – add sweetness and a chewy texture with chopped apricots.
Sugar – sweetens and enhances the flavor. Add a light sprinkle on top before baking for a light “sparkle” and crunch.
Helpful Baking Tools
Cookie Sheets – use two cookie sheets to bake the scones. For easy clean-up, line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Box Grater – grating cold butter with a box grater helps incorporate it quickly and evenly into the flour. Or, use a knife and cut butter into small pieces.
Measuring Cups and Spoons – measure all ingredients properly with dry measuring cups, a liquid measuring cup and measuring spoons. Or, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.
Mixing Bowls – you’ll need a couple of mixing bowls for holding the dry and wet ingredients.
Pastry Blender – a pastry blender is ideal for cutting butter and working it into the flour. A fork can be used, too.
Whisk – use a small whisk to blend wet and dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula for mixing the dough.
Knife – use a knife or a bench scraper to cut scones into triangles. Or, use a scone pan instead.
Pastry Brush – use a pastry brush to brush the tops of scones with half-and-half.
Cooling Racks – prevent the bottoms of scones from becoming soggy by using a cooling rack.
Helpful Scone Tips
Getting that perfect scone texture—light, flaky, and tender—really comes down to just a few simple techniques. Follow these tips to ensure your scones turn out perfectly every time.
- Use cold ingredients. Cold butter and cream create the flakiest texture in scones.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing the dough can result in dense, tough scones. To avoid this, mix only until the dough ingredients come together. It’s okay if the dough looks a little rough – it will smooth out when shaping it.
- Flour your hands and workspace. To manage sticky dough when shaping the scones, put a little bit of flour on your hands and countertop.
- Freeze before baking. Chilling shaped scones in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before baking helps them hold their shape, gives them a better rise and achieves a flakier texture.
Let’s Make Scones
Making scones is simple and requires no mixer, as it follows the “biscuit method” for preparation. What does that mean? Simply put, you’ll mix dry ingredients first, incorporate the wet ingredients and shape your scone. Follow these simple steps to create flaky apricot scones. Full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
1. Whisk the liquids together in a small bowl.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl; add butter.
3. Cut butter with a pastry blender until crumbly.
4. Add apricots and sugar; mix together.
5. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.
6. Stir using a spoon until a soft dough forms.
7. Place dough on a floured surface.
8. Shape into a large circle then cut into triangles.
9. Place scones onto cookie sheets.
10. Brush tops with half-and-half and sprinkle sugar.
11. Bake for 15 minutes.
12. Cool on wire racks.
Flavor Variations & Allergy-Friendly Substitutions
Scones are easy to customize based on your taste preferences or dietary needs. Whether you’re craving a new flavor twist, are looking to try a savory take on scones or need to adjust the recipe to accommodate a dietary need, these ideas are a great place to start. Keep in mind that not all substitutions have been tested with this recipe, so for best results, try one change at a time.
- Fruit Medley – try different dried fruits, like raisins, dried cherries, dried prunes or chopped dried figs – or a mix of two or three – for fruit variety.
- Chocolate Chip Mix – swap out dried apricots for milk, dark or white chocolate chips–or try a mix of all three chocolate chips.
- Orange and Craisin – add orange zest and ½ tsp of orange extract with dried cranberries. Top with an orange glaze after baking for a bright, citrus flavor.
- Cheese, Bacon and Herbs – swap apricots for shredded cheddar cheese, chopped herbs (like chives or thyme), and crumbled cooked bacon. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with flaky salt before baking.
- Cheddar and Chive – fold shredded sharp cheddar cheese and chopped fresh chives into the dough for a savory, tangy twist.
Allergy-Friendly Substitutions
If avoiding a certain allergen, consider the following substitutions. I suggest trying one swap at a time since this recipe has not been tested with any of these allergen substitutions.
- Dairy-Free – use oat or coconut milk in place of the half-and-half and a plant-based butter.
- Egg-Free – replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes).
- Gluten-Free – swap the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Read labels on other ingredients, like baking powder, to ensure they are gluten-free as well.
Storing Homemade Scones
Freshly baked scones are at their best the day they’re made. But if you have leftovers (or want to prep ahead) then scones store well and can be enjoyed later with just a few storage tips.
- On the Counter. Place completely cooled scones in an airtight container or Ziplock bag and store at room temperature for up to two days.
- In the Fridge. For longer storage, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.Reheat scones in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- In the Freezer. Freeze once scones are completely cooled by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap or foil and placing them in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. For best quality, freeze within the first 24 hours after baking. Thaw at room temperature or warm them in the 300F degree oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
- Freeze Unbaked Scones. Freeze unbaked scones and then bake when needed. To freeze, place shaped scones on a cookie sheet (don’t let the scones touch) for 1-2 hours. Once completely frozen, layer scones between parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Label with the date and baking instructions. Bake from frozen – just add 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time. Unbaked frozen scones will keep for up to 3 months.
Breakfast Made Simple
Scones make the perfect Mother’s Day breakfast. Create a cozy morning by pairing scones with a large cup of coffee or tea. For other weekend breakfast ideas, try these Chocolate Chip Pancakes or get a jump on the week and prepare Baked Oatmeal for breakfast on the go. If you try any of these recipes, give a rating and let me know what you think. Happy Mother’s Day, today and every day!
Apricot Scones
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (109g) half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
- 1 large (50g) egg
- 2-1/2 cups (329g) all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 tsp (1g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) cold butter, cut into small pieces (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup (138g) dried apricots, chopped into pieces
- 2/3 cup (135g) sugar
- extra half-and-half and sugar for tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Grate or chop the cold butter into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Refrigerate or freeze until needed.
- In a small bowl whisk the half-and-half and egg until blended. Set aside.
- In a medium or large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the chilled butter and cut it in with a pastry blender (or fork) until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add the chopped apricots and sugar to the flour mixture and mix together.
- Pour the half-and-half/egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. If dough is sticky, lightly flour your hands and then form the dough into a 9-inch circle.
- Once a circle is formed, cut into 12 even triangular wedges using a knife or bench scraper. Place 6 wedges, about a half inch apart, on two cookie sheets. Note: if using a scone pan, cut into 8 triangles and place into the greased scone pan.
- Lightly brush each scone with half-and-half using a pastry brush and sprinkle some sugar on top of each for a slight crunch.
- Bake at 400℉ for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the pans and bake for another 2-5 minutes or until browned. Note: if using a scone pan, baking time may differ.
- When done, carefully remove cookie sheets from the oven and let cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
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Are these the soft kind of scones, I’m looking for that as opposed to biscuit hard kind
Yes, I find that these have a softer bite to them. They are best eaten the day you make them.