Vanilla Bean Caramelized Pear Scones with Dark Chocolate

Vanilla Bean Caramelized Pear Scones with Dark Chocolate

These Vanilla Bean Caramelized Pear Scones with Dark Chocolate pair the sweet, floral flavor of pear with the complexity of dark chocolate for an easy-to-make treat that's perfect anytime.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine British

Keyword Pear Scones

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Chill Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 411kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Caramelized Pear:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large pear cored and chopped small (I used Bartlett)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/6 teaspoon salt

Scones:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus up to 3 tablespoons more as needed
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground mahlab optional
6 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and diced
1 cup half and half or milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate

Other:

1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 1/2 tablespoons water, for eggwash
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Caramelized Pear:

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pear, sugar, and salt and cook until the pear starts to caramelize, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cool completely.

For the Scones:

Preheat oven to 425F; line a baking sheet with a silpat liner.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and mahlab in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal. Whisk together the half and half and vanilla bean paste, and stir it into the flour mixture. (The dough should come together, but not be too wet.)
Mix in the cooled pear and chopped chocolate, adding 1 tablespoon additional flour at a time as needed.
Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer or 1 hour in the fridge.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.
Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with eggwash and sprinkle on the sugar.
Bake until the scones are puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Notes

Half and Half Substitute: Instead of half and half, you could use whole milk or cream for this recipe.
Make Ahead: You can caramelize the pear ahead of time. It needs to be completely cooled before we add it to the scone dough anyway! Feel free to make the caramelized pear up to 3 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge until you make the scones.

Nutrition