Making Apricot Scones

Hi Everyone,

I do hope you are keeping warm today! It is cold in Florida, so it is a perfect day to bake and I made Apricot Scones for the tea I am helping with on Saturday.

This recipe was my mothers and they are very delicious! What you see here is the flour, baking powder and salt and grated orange rind and chopped apricots. I am ready to mix them together and add butter and then whipping cream. Sounds yummy!

I stirred just enough to moisten the dough, kneaded it a couple of times and am going to cut them into little heart shapes. Normally I make a six inch circle of dough and cut into 8 wedges, but for this tea, I will make them smaller and daintier.

Here is how they look after baking, and I sampled one just to see if it was good, of course. So flaky and delicious! I serve these with Devonshire cream (my version) and Guava jelly, which I usually buy--it is a Florida favorite--or with some I have made myself. Recipes follow.

Apricot Scones

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cold butter

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1 tsp. grated orange peel

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter to fine crumbs. Add apricots, peel. With fork, rapidly stir in 1 cup whipping cream just til moist. Turn onto a floured surface, knead a few times. Divide in half: shape each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a 6 inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Brush with a little whipping cream. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes until lightly brown. Serve with Devonshire cream and jam or jelly. Yield 16 scones.

Devonshire Cream

Pour 1 pint of heavy whipping cream into a quart jar. Add 2 or 3 Tablespoons (3 is better) of fresh lemon juice. Shake jar and leave overnight on counter. Refrigerate the next morning and let cool. When you are ready to eat, it will be very thick. Spread on scones and top with jam or jelly. I love Guava jelly with Apricot Scones. Refrigerate left over cream and it will keep several days in the fridge. So simple and so delicious!