Peach Cobbler Scones

In addition to the North Fork scones I also made these scones this weekend, but saved them for the Robber who loves peach pie so much that I thought he might love these scones too. And he did! They ended up sitting on the counter, formed but unbaked, for several hours so I don't think ours rose very high and also because I used baking powder with aluminum yes, the peaches did turn grey within 48 hours, but the Robber happily consumed them. What I liked about these was that the dough itself was not very sweet so it really did feel like a cobbler and not so much like a cake and had a nice salty-sweet contrast which is the Robber's love. Definitely worth a re-visit next summer when the peaches are back in season!

From Annie's Eats:

http://annies-eats.com/2012/08/13/peach-cobbler-scones/

Ingredients:

3 C. all-purpose flour

¼ C. sugar

1 T. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1½ sticks (12 T.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ C. buttermilk, plus more for brushing

1-2 ripe peaches, sliced thin (I used 1 1/2 and ate the remaining 1/2 peach)

For the cinnamon-sugar (can likely only make half this amount):

2 T. sugar

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Whisk briefly to blend.  

3. Add the butter to the bowl and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas.  

4. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until a dough forms.  Knead briefly, about 10-15 times, until the dough has come together.  Be careful to avoid over handling the dough, as it can result in tough, dense scones.

5. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface.  (If the dough is too soft to shape, chill it for about 15 minutes before proceeding.)  Roll the dough out into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle.  

6. Brush half of the dough lightly with buttermilk.  Lay the peach slices in a single layer over the buttermilk side of the dough.  Sprinkle evenly with about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Carefully fold the other side of the dough over the peaches as if closing a book and press down gently.  Slice the dough into 8-12 equal sized pieces. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  

7. Brush the top of each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar.  Bake until the tops are golden brown and the scones are baked through, about 15-18 minutes.  Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool further.  

Note: The shaped, unbaked scones may also be frozen on a baking sheet and then transferred to a freezer-safe container.  Bake as directed straight from the freezer, simply adding a few minutes to the baking time and checking for doneness.