The end of summer is the time of the year when stone-fruit are bountiful and at their best. August also happens to be “National Peach Month”, so naturally, peaches provide inspiration for all sorts of experiments in the kitchen: from old fashioned desserts like peach cobblers and rustic peach galettes, to peach crumb bars, peach jam and peach ice cream. A few of these will make their appearance on this blog in the weeks to come!
Today, however, I want to share with you all a recipe for peach scones with marmalade butter. I used my trusty, go-to recipe for scones and substituted a couple of juicy, ripe and wonderfully aromatic yellow peaches for the pears. The result is tender, light and golden brown scones that paired so well with peach marmalade butter. There is no need for a stand mixer for this recipe–it is best to use your fingertips to blend the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Remember, the less you work the dough the easier it is to achieve flaky scones.
These peach scones are the perfect treat to serve with a summer brunch or to enjoy on their own on a leisurely weekend morning. They are also very versatile–depending on the time of the year, other fruit can be substituted for the peaches. Once the dough is formed, the scones can be baked right away, or, you can bake just a few of them and store the rest in the freezer for later. Whichever way you choose, you will not be disappointed!
Peach Scones with Marmalade Butter
- 2½ cups AP flour (plus more for the work surface)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. lemon zest, grated
- ¼ cup sugar, plus 1-2 more TBSP. for sprinkling on top
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup butter, diced and kept very cold
- 1 cup yellow peach, peeled (or not) & diced
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 1 TBSP. extra flour (if needed)
- For the marmalade butter:
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup peach marmalade
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, ¼ cup of sugar, and the brown sugar.
- With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry mixture until coarse crumbs form. (You can also use your fingertips to work in the butter).
- Stir in the buttermilk and almond extract. Add the peaches, stirring just enough until everything is combined. The dough will be sticky. If necessary, sprinkle it with 1 TBSP. of extra flour, so you can handle it easier. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a 9" round. With a floured knife or a bench scraper, cut the round into 8 or 10 wedges; sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Transfer each one to a parchment lined sheet pan. Separate the wedges, allowing at least ½ inch of space in between each wedge on the sheet pan. To form smaller scones: Use a ¼ cup and drop the dough onto the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the scones, or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool. Serve warm with some marmalade butter.
- In a small bowl combine the butter and the marmalade, mix well and use at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use.
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