Still on my sourdough discard kick, I recently acquired a sourdough discard recipe book, The Sweet Side of Sourdough, by Caroline Schiff, and gave her recipe for Lemon Almond Creme Fraiche scones a try – with my own twists, of course!

My main twists were that I made my scones half-sized, as I find the typical size of an “American” scone just too big for one sitting. I also added some dried fruit (the apricot, soaked in brandy, though you wouldn’t have to do that), used mascarpone instead of creme fraiche (because that’s just what I happened to have), and instead of heavy cream, used some full-cream raw milk that I still had in my fridge. These really turn out a nice moist scone that stayed good for several days kept in an airtight container.

As with most scone recipes, bring this one together nice and quickly, with chilled ingredients, and don’t overwork the dough. Putting it in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking helps keep it chilled so it’s moist and tender after baking. Expect it to be “shaggy” in looks, and only cut it into triangles after it’s been in the fridge.

I’m a huge fan of an egg wash on my scones so they get a nice golden brown from baking. There is just something so much more appetizing about the color – we must be somehow programmed to have our taste buds wake up when we see that golden brown! I mean, how can one resist the “after” picture, am I right?!

I might also add that I’m not typically a big fan of frosted scones, being much inclined to the traditional British scone with cream and jam. The lemon in this glaze, however, really is wonderful and puckery, and with the glaze on top, you really don’t need cream and jam. So it makes for a nice change of pace anyway!

Feeling in a Fall-ish mood with these as we head into September, so bringing on the oranges and navy blues for this one. Don’t forget a great cup of tea and your fine china to enjoy these scones! And try to control your mouth watering with the chunks of apricot and almond in each bite.

Almond Apricot Scones

  • Servings: 12 half-sized scones
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 + 3/4 c. (247 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. (60 g.) sliced almonds
  • 1/4 c. (50 g.) granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. (7 g.) baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 c. diced dried apricots (I soaked mine in brandy for a good 30 mins before using)
  • 1 stick (114 g.) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/3 c. (73 g.) active sourdough starter discard
  • 1/3 c. (73 ml.) heavy cream, chilled (I used full-cream raw milk and it worked perfectly)
  • 1/3 c. (86 g.) mascarpone (or you could use creme fraiche), chilled
  • 1 egg, beaten (for an egg wash before putting in the oven)
  • 1 + 1/4 c. (150 g.) powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) lemon juice, or more as needed (from 1 to 2 lemons)
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/4 c. (30 g.) sliced almonds, lightly toasted, to garnish

Directions

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. If you want to reconstitute your dried apricots some, you can chop and put them in a small bowl to soak in brandy, or water, for 30 minutes before using.

To make the dough, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and chopped dried apricot. Add the cold butter, and with your hands (or a pastry cutter), work it into the flour until the pieces are pea-sized and mixture looks crumbly.

In a separate, small bowl, combine the sourdough starter discard, heavy cream and creme fraiche with a fork. Add it to the dry butter mixture and fold together with a spatula until no dry patches remain. Your dough will be shaggy-looking.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in two, shaping each half into a disc, about 1 and 1/2 inches thick. Wrap both halves in plastic and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit close to the end of the 20 minutes. Take both discs out of the fridge, unwrap and slice with a knife into six triangles. Put the triangles on the prepared sheet pan, spacing them out slightly (they will not expand much). Brush a bit of the egg wash on each scone. Bake until golden brown all over, 35 to 45 minutes. Check at the lower time – you want them to get a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a baking rack.

To make the glaze, in a mixing bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and salt until smooth. Add a little extra lemon juice if you prefer a thinner glaze. Spoon or drizzle the glaze over the tops of the cooled scones and finish with a few toasted almond slices (and a few bits of dried apricot, if you wish). Serve with a nice cup of black tea – enjoy!

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