Prune Walnut Scones Recipes

PRUNE AND WALNUT CRECENTS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour in a food processor just until a dough forms. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough and form into 2 balls, then flatten each ball into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, each wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.
• Form and bake crescents:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep the other chilled) into a roughly 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out rounds with floured cookie cutter. Chill scraps.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of filling in center of 1 dough round. Brush some of egg wash halfway around pastry, near edge, then fold dough over filling, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch edges to seal. Make more crescents in same manner, rerolling scraps (but only once).
• Arrange crescents 1/2 inch apart on 2 buttered large baking sheets and lightly brush tops with egg wash. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

CARDAMOM PRUNE DROP SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Put flour, soda, powder, salt and cardamom into large bowl, mix well.
• In another bowl, beat together sour cream, egg, lemon peel and sugar.
• Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand.
• Add prunes to flour/butter and toss to distribute evenly.
• Add sour cream mixture and stir with a spoon until a sticky dough forms.
• Drop by 1/3 cupfuls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
• Cool, loosely covered with a dish towel, on a wire rack.

PRUNE WALNUT SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the shortening in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Set aside 1/4 cup walnuts. Add remaining walnuts and the prunes to dry ingredients; toss until combined. Add buttermilk and mix lightly with fork until mixture clings together and forms a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 5-6 times. Divide dough in half. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll one half of dough into a 7-inch round. Cut into 4 wedges. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Place scones 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet. Pierce tops with tines of fork and sprinkle with reserved walnuts. Bake scones for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.