My very first experience with scones was at afternoon tea at the Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel. My dad used to take our whole family to the Peninsula for tea during our trips to visit my grandmother. It was a special outing that we always looked forward to. Everything about the Peninsula’s afternoon tea is remarkable- the service, the atmosphere, the classical music, and of course, the food. My definition of what a scone ought to be comes from my enjoyment of the scones served at the Peninsula. Their scones are a bit like biscuits with a soft interior and only subtly sweet. I once did a google search for the Peninsula Hotel scone recipe and found one that resulted in scones very similar to the ones served at the Peninsula. Over the years however, my taste preferences have gravitated more towards whole-grains and I’ve adapted a scone recipe that I enjoy every bit as much as the Peninsula’s. These whole wheat apricot scones are made with whole wheat pastry flour, oats, flax, and are lightly sweetened with dried apricots and honey. Often times I substitute other dried fruits for the apricots and occasionally I will use almond extract instead of vanilla. If I am ambitious I make a double batch and freeze one batch unbaked. Frozen unbaked scones can be baked directly from the freezer with just a few additional minutes of baking time. Those are perfect for days when you feel like baking, but don’t want the work the work of baking because let’s face it, don’t we all have days like that?
- 2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
- ⅔ cup chopped dried apricots
- ¼ cup honey
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, flax, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried apricots.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, ¾ cup buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and form two circles ¾" thick. Use a floured knife to cut each circle into 6 wedges. Transfer scones to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1" between each.
- Use a pastry brush to brush scones with the remaining buttermilk. Bake 12-16 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
