Toasted Almond Scones
I love anything with almonds and when I found this recipe of Dorie Greenspan's I just had to give it a try. I've added an almond glaze to her recipe, I hope you like them as much as I do.
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds, (whole, slivered or sliced) toasted
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup cold heavy cream
1/4 cup cold whole milk
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1-2 Tbsp. cold milk
Method
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place your oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Divide the toasted almonds in half. Finely grind 1/2 cup in a food processor or blender with the sugar, taking care not to over-grind and make almond butter. Finely the chop the other 1/2 cup.
Stir the egg, cream, milk and almond extract together, set aside.
Whisk the flour, ground almonds and sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers toss to coat the pieces of butter with the flour mixture. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or pea-size pieces.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together. Don't overdo it. Stir in the chopped almonds.
Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rough circle that's about 8-10 inches in diameter and 1/2" thick. Using a knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet leaving them at least 1-2 inches apart. Place a few sliced almonds on top of each scone (or leave them off if you like).
Bake the scones for 20-22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firm to the touch. Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 10 minutes.
Place the 2 cups of confectioners sugar in a bowl and add the 1 tsp. of almond extract and stir. Add cold milk a little at a time and continue to stir until you have the consistency your desire. Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled scones and enjoy!