scrumptious scones

Scones. The most delectable dumplings of dense, buttery goodness in the world. The champion of the baked goods. Forget about your chocolate chip cookies; mutterings about muffins won't move me in any way. I am a seasoned scone aficionado. A scon-naisseur, if you will ;)

For me, there is nothing quite like a warm, crumbly scone, lathered in melting butter and homemade raspberry jam (and a wedge of cream, if I’m feeling a bit deserving). When I was younger, I would only eat plain scones – much to my father’s chagrin, as I frequently coerced my mother into leaving the raisins out of her signature fruit scones. Now, however, I prefer a flavoured scone – I relish the raisins. I melt over mixed berries. And, most recently, I praise the pear and vanilla.

I discovered this gem of a combination in Keogh’s Café on Trinity St, which boasts an impressive scone menu, with mouth-watering flavours such as blackberry and apple, cranberry and orange, apple and walnut and many more. I’ve sampled scones all across Dublin, and Keogh’s is one of my favourite places to get my fix. I usually go for the pear and vanilla variety; the juicy chunks of pear are complimented beautifully by the sweetness vanilla, without becoming too sugary-sweet – divine.

I came home after travelling for the summer with an ache in my heart - and my stomach - for a good Irish scone, in particular a pear and vanilla from Keogh’s. As I was spending the first week back at home in Westmeath, this option was not available to me, and so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ve baked scones before, but only plain or fruit ones, and not always with the best results. So it was risky, I know. Baking something for the first time with so much of my personal satisfaction riding on the results. But I decided to go for it. 

As Drake would say, you scone-ly live once.

And the results, I have to say, were pretty damn satisfying.

Mmmm-mm. Rise my pretties, rise.

Ingredients

130g unsalted butter, diced

500g plain flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder

70g caster sugar

2 large pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 large egg, beaten

225ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract
optional: a handful of flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
3. Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder using your fingertips, unless the mix resembles dry breadcrumbs. Try to “be light with your hands”, as my mother would say, and handle the mix as little as possible.
4. Add in the pear. If the pears are really juicy, you will need to reduce the amount of milk.
5. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla, and bring everything together. I use my hand for this! Retain a little bit of the egg to brush on top of the scones.
6. Scatter some flour onto a work surface and put the mix out onto this. If your mix is a bit wet, sprinkle some extra flour on the top, before rolling the mixture out to a 4-5cm thickness. Cut out using a scone cutter. Brush the tops with the left-over egg and scatter some flaked almonds on, if it takes your fancy! 
7. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden-brown on top. 
8. None of this "allow to cool" business. Tuck in straight away, while still warm. Ooh baybeh.