Persimmon & Walnut Scones
I wanted to start of by saying THANK YOU!
I am so thankful for all of the love and support I have received over the past few weeks. Your kind words truly motivate me to keep on pursuing my dreams. So if you are new to this space, or if you visit from time to time, I want to let you know how thankful I am for taking time out of your day to come and explore my recipes and photographs.
Now, moving on to these tasty scones I have for you….
Persimmons are one of my favorite fruits, and each winter I eagerly await their arrival. A lot of homes in my neighborhood have persimmon trees, many of which are filled with bunches of small orange orbs, waiting to be enjoyed. I remember when I was little, my mother taught me that you can place these fruits in the freezer, and once frozen, cut of their tops and enjoy them like a little bowl of ice cream. It pretty much blew my mind back then, and here I am 20 some-odd years later, still a fan of frozen persimmon. With persimmons on the brain, I though it would be great to dice them up and put them into my favorite scone recipe. I ended up adding some chopped walnuts for crunch, and a few spices for extra flavor, both of which combine to make this my latest breakfast obsession. Now, breakfast can be hit or miss for me. Sometimes I wake up incredibly hungry, and other times I end up enjoying my first meal well past lunch time. Since my morning meals fluctuate so much I often appreciate having something small to snack on, and lately these scones have been fitting the bill.
You can enjoy these scones straight out of the oven, or you can add little bit of softened butter and a drizzle of honey. Either way, a batch of these is the perfect companion for a cup of hot coffee or tea. What I especially love about these scones is, contrary to what some might think, they’re actually very easy to make. If you want to have these in the morning, simply prepare all of your ingredients the night before and you will be enjoying fresh scones in about 20 minutes.
Hope you enjoy these as much as I do! Also, if you’re looking for more scone flavors be sure to check out my Blueberry Buttermilk scones.
PERSIMMON SCONES
Yields 8
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Cardamom
6 Tablespoons Cold Unsalted Butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Cup Fuyu Persimmons, peeled and diced
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/3 Cup chopped Walnuts
1 Egg lightly beaten, or a bit of heavy cream from brushing
Equipment: Large Bowl, Baking Sheet, Parchment Paper, Pastry Brush, Cooling Rack
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425F° and make sure that your rack is positioned in the center of your oven.
Line your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
Place flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom into a medium bowl and whisk together until combined.
Once combined, add in cubed butter and rub the butter between your fingers until the butter breaks up into small pieces.
Add diced persimmons and chopped walnuts into the flour and butter mixture, tossing to coat. Whisk vanilla into buttermilk pour into mixture. With 2 forks, begin to fluff the mixture until the dough begins to come together in thick clumps. If dough seems a bit sticky, dust with a bit of flour until it becomes easier to work with.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough into a circle that is about 8 inches in diameter. Cut dough into 8 equal wedges and place onto prepared baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with a little bit of the whisked egg , or heavy cream, and sprinkle each slice with sugar.
Place in the oven and bake for about 14-16 minutes, or until firm and golden, making sure to rotate baking sheet halfway through the baking time.
Let cool on pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
(adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking)