Apricot Cream Cheese Scones

Total Time: 28 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces package cream cheese (cold)
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 cup diced dried apricot
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• sparkling sugar, for topping

Recipe

• 1 in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. cut in the cream cheese and butter, using your fingers, a pastry blender, fork, or a mixer, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, then stir in the apricots. in a separate bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and milk.
• 2 combine the liquid and dry ingredients and stir until the dough becomes cohesive. don't mix and mix and mix; the more you work with the dough, the tougher it'll get.
• 3 turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and fold it over several times, until it holds together. pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle.
• 4 cut scones with a round cutter, gathering the scraps and re-rolling the dough. or simply cut the dough into squares or diamonds. brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sparkling or pearl sugar.
• 5 place scones about 2 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. bake them in a preheated 425°f oven for 8 minutes. turn the oven off, leave the door closed, and continue to bake for 8 more minutes, until the scones are a light, golden brown. serve hot, with clotted cream and jam or raspberry curd.