Dried Apricot, Ginger and White Chocolate Scones

Scones are an easy afternoon treat to make. They don’t need many ingredients and don’t take long to put together. I also like the fact that a basic scone recipe is so versatile and can include just about anything that I have in the kitchen – and sometimes I find inspiration for a new combination just by looking through my pantry. These Dried Apricot, Ginger and White Chocolate Scones are a perfect example, because they feature a combination of three things that I just about always have on hand.

The scones include dried apricots, candied ginger and white chocolate. The apricots have an earthy sweetness to them that pairs very nicely with the spice of the ginger. I added white chocolate for a little extra sweetness, but the white chocolate also lends a nice dairy note to the scones. It’s a combination of ingredients that I think would be good in many different types of recipes (and one I’ll use again in the future!), but it works well here because all three ingredients are dry and easily incorporated into the dough.

The dough is straightforward, with butter cut in to a mixture of flour, sugar, salt and leaveners. The finished scones are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside (baking them to a dark gold, as I did here, gives them a beautifully caramelized exterior), with a nice hint of butter and vanilla. Most of the flavor comes from the mix-ins, so you’ll see all three elements shine as you eat them. I chopped my apricots and ginger into relatively small pieces, but fee free to leave then chunkier to give your scones clearer pops of color, if you prefer.

These are excellent the day the are made, but will keep quite well for another day or so when stored in an airtight container or bag.

Dried Apricot, Ginger and White Chocolate Scones
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk or half n’ half
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1-2 tbsp milk or cream, for finishing
coarse sugar, for finishing

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add butter to flour mixture and toss to coat. Rub butter into flour mixture using your fingertips, until no pieces larger than a pea remain and mixture is sandy.
Add in milk and vanilla and stir with a fork almost until the mixture comes together. Stir in apricots, white chocolate chips and ginger until evenly distributed.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and divide it into two balls. Shape each ball into a disc about 3/4-inch thick and cut into quarters. Arrange piece on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scone with a bit of milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until scones are golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Makes 8.