Almond Paste Scones Recipes

ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in almond paste, separating pieces to coat each with flour mixture.
• In small bowl, combine milk, almond extract and egg; blend well. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• On floured surface, gently knead dough about 6 times. Divide dough in half; shape each into ball. Pat each ball into 5-inch round with center higher than edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place wedges 1 inch apart on sprayed cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400°F. for 13 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

ALMOND PASTE SCONES

Steps:

• If using optional amaretto, soak cherries in amaretto for 15-20 minutes before beginning.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Stack two baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the almond paste and then the butter directly into the dry ingredients. With a pastry cutter, cut the almond paste and the butter into the dry ingredients until a few pea-sized lumps remain. Stir in the cherries or mini chocolate chips. (If using amaretto, drain cherries before adding. Drink or discard amaretto.).
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and both extracts. With a fork, gradually stir enough of the liquid into the dry mixture until the mixture just starts to come together, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the liquid to brush the tops of the scones.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and very gently pat into an 8-inch round about 1 1/2 inches high. Using a chef's knife or bench scraper. cut the dough round into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to the baking sheet, spacing the scones at least 1 inch apart. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg-cream mixture and sprinkle liberally with sugar.
• Bake in the top third of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm.

DRIED CHERRY ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Add in the butter and rub with your fingers into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. Add in the cherries and almonds. Add the heavy cream and combine it into the butter flour mixture.
• Form the dough into a 1-inch thick disk and cut it into 6 wedges. Sprinkle each wedge generously with the turbinado sugar. Transfer the wedges to a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 17 to 18 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. Serve warm with Honey Butter.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all ingredients and whip on high speed until the cream starts to clump and turn light yellow. Continue mixing as butter forms and the buttermilk begins to separate out. Scrape sides and continue mixing until mixture is one lump of butter. Place butter into a clean container or serving dish and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

AWESOME ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, almond paste and almonds in food processor.
• Pulse until mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Put in a large bowl.
• Whisk together egg, egg yolk and 2/3 cup cream until blended. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until dough just begins to hold together.
• Add dough to lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, pat dough to 1/2" thickness.
• Cut scones using a 2" diameter heart-shaped cookie cutter or round biscuit cutter. Gather excess dough and repeat process. Place scones 3" apart on prepared baking sheet.
• Lightly brush surface of scones with remaining 2 tablespoons of cream.
• Bake 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• Now: I add about 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract or so to my cream and egg mixture. I do not cut these with a cookie cutter and re-roll. I usually just cut them in squares and then into triangles.
• I also freeze them on a wax-paper lined sheet for several hours before baking and add about 3-4 minutes to my baking time.

ALMOND CHIP SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. , In a small bowl, whisk 3 eggs, cream and extract; add to crumb mixture just until moistened. Gently stir in chips and almonds. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 6-8 times. , On a greased baking sheet, pat dough into a 10-1/2-in. circle, about 3/4 in. thick. Cut into eight wedges. Beat remaining egg; brush over dough. Slightly separate wedges. , Bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

APRICOT ALMOND SCONES

Steps:

• Make apricot swirl:
• Simmer apricots and water in a small heavy saucepan, covered, stirring occasionally, until water is absorbed, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a food processor. Add brown sugar and Amaretto and pulse to a coarse purée. Add almonds and pulse once or twice to coarsely chop nuts.
• Transfer purée to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
• Make scones:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
• Put flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in cleaned food processor, then crumble almond paste and add to processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons almonds.
• Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and almond extract in a 2-cup glass measure, then reserve 2 tablespoons buttermilk mixture for brushing on scones. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in remaining buttermilk mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add apricot purée and stir once or twice to distribute without incorporating fully. (Dough will be wet.)
• Transfer dough with floured hands to a well-floured surface, then turn dough to coat with flour and pat into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. Carefully transfer dough to lined baking sheet and cut into 8 equal wedges with a floured knife, leaving wedges together. (If dough is too soft to cut, chill until firm, about 30 minutes, before cutting.)
• Brush top and sides with reserved buttermilk mixture and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons almonds. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of a scone comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 minutes and cut wedges to separate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ALMOND PASTE

Steps:

• Grind almonds in a blender. Thoroughly mix in confectioners sugar. Beat egg whites slightly, then stir into the almond mixture. Add almond extract or rosewater (see Cook's Note), using your hands to blend the heavy mixture.
• Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.