Little Honey Almond Scones with Dried Fruit

Barbara Estabrook’s Little Honey Almond Scones with Dried Fruit entry in the Sue Bee® honey Sweet Eats Recipe Contest!

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sue Bee® Honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted cold stick butter, cut into thin pieces
3 tablespoons (each) coarsely chopped dried apricots, dried Kalamata figs (no stems) and golden raisins
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1 egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted whole almonds

Heat oven to 375 F.
Line 2 shiny cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.
Using a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Whisk apricots, figs, raisins and ginger into dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk egg.
Add cream, Sue Bee® honey and extract to egg; whisk together then pour over dry ingredients.
Stir together with a fork just until no flour is visible then stir in nuts.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons on lined sheets, forming 20 dough mounds, each about 2 1/2 inches wide.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from front to back halfway through baking, until scones are golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean,
Transfer scones to wire racks and cool 20 minutes.

In a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat until golden (watch as not to burn).
Pour butter into a small bowl.
Cool, then stir in Sue Bee® honey, confectioners’ sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons water and extract.
Stir until drizzle consistency, adding more water if necessary.
Top center of each scone with about 1 teaspoon icing then using fork tines, rake across top of scones.

Sue Bee® Pro Recipe Tip: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.