Apricot Scones with White Chocolate and Walnuts: Always a Good Idea
Sneak Preview: These Apricot Scones with white chocolate and walnuts produce a memorable sugar-crusted cream breakfast scone packed with interesting textures and eye appeal that’s hard to resist.
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These scones don’t show up in my kitchen very often because they are rich, a tad expensive, and not low-calorie. But they are so worth it for guests or a special occasion.
Why This Recipe is Special Enough for Guests
- Prepare these Apricot Scones ahead of time and freeze them. Bake when ready to eat.
- The dried apricots, white chocolate, and walnuts are an unexpected combination that tastes fab.
- The main ingredients have a long shelf life, so you can keep them in your pantry or fridge to make several batches as needed.
Happy Bakers Speak Up
“This is a solid scone recipe that was easy to prepare. I swapped half the flour for wheat flour and the texture & flavor was still nice. I especially appreciated the tip about freezing & baking when needed. That worked out lovely!” —KATRINA
Recipe Inspiration
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer in the kitchen at Bible Study Fellowship headquarters in San Antonio. Their motto emphasizes excellence in service to the Lord.
The food they prepare is just one example. After helping to serve these white chocolate and dried apricot scones for breakfast one morning, I was thrilled to get the recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- FLOUR: Use all-purpose or pastry flour. Bleached or unbleached flours are both acceptable.
- SUGAR: Granulated white sugar is my first choice. Because the apricots and white chocolate add sweetness, not to mention the sanding sugar on top, you could get away with half the sugar specified.
- BAKING POWDER: No substitutes. Be sure it’s fresh. After you open a can, it’s only good for six months to a year. Learn more about how to tell if your baking powder has lost its potency.
- SALT: Use table salt or sea salt. If using Kosher salt, add ¼ teaspoon extra.
- BUTTER: You could substitute shortening or lard, but butter gives a richer flavor. Butter should be very cold for maximum flakiness.
- HEAVY CREAM: Buttermilk is thick enough to preserve the wonderful texture of these scones. Otherwise, stick with the heavy cream for the best scones.
- WALNUTS: Other possibilities include pecans and macadamia nuts. Don’t skip the toasting. It’s easy to toast nuts in your microwave.
- APRICOTS: Any dried fruit can be used to substitute for the apricots. You won’t need to chop them if they are small, like raisins, dried cranberries, or blueberries.
- SANDING SUGAR: Optional, but worth the trouble.
📌Kitchen Tips📌
1. Make these dried apricot scones ahead of time.
If you need to make these ahead, freeze the shaped dough, but don’t bake them until the day you want to serve them.
2. Roll out scone dough on a silicone baking sheet.
Toss silicone baking sheets in the dishwasher for easy clean-up. However, be careful when cutting the dough into triangle shapes. You don’t want to damage your mat. I do it all the time without consequence.
How To Shape Apricot White Chocolate Scones with Walnuts
Frequently Asked Questions
Handle the dough lightly and quickly. Keep the butter cold. Don’t substitute milk for the cream.
Have a Scone and Donut-Tasting Party
- Frosted Fresh Blackberry Scones
- Lemon Poppy-Seed Scones with Greek Yogurt
- Whole Wheat Powdered Sugar Donuts (Baked Not Fried)
Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!
Apricot Scones with White Chocolate and Walnuts Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter
- ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream + some for glazing
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (114 g) white chocolate
- ⅔ cup (78 g) walnuts toasted
- ⅔ cup (87 g) dried apricots or raisins finely chopped dried
- Sanding sugar for tops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 ˚C).
- Combine the first four ingredients. Add cold butter and cut in with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal.
- Whisk together heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl before adding it to the dry ingredients. Stir in white chocolate, walnuts, and apricots. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Pour crumbly mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and use hands to press together into a large patty about 9-inches square and 1-inch thick. Cut into four pieces using the shape of a “plus” sign. Cut each square in half diagonally, resulting in 8 scones. For mini-scones, cut each triangle in half.
- Brush tops of scones with heavy cream, then dip tops into a bowl of sanding sugar (easier than sprinkling sugar on top). Place onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. The bottoms of these scones tend to brown quickly, so I position them on a rack closer to the top of my oven than the bottom. Whether you need to do the same will depend on the cookie sheet you use and your oven.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.