The Secret Ingredient to Tender, Never-Ever Dry Scones
Scones
Scones are often celebrated as the crown jewel of breakfasts and tea parties but in reality, they can be a bummer. I mean, is there anything as disappointing as biting into a hard, tough scone that's tasteless and as dry as the desert?
There are a few reasons why scones can be so dry and leaden. First, over-mixing can overdevelop the gluten in your scone dough, creating an inedible doorstop. Secondly, not enough cream or butter can contribute to a sad scone. And finally, you need to take a long hard look at how many blueberries or chocolate chips you packed into your scone dough. While we love a good mix-in, the reality is too much of a good thing can undermine the texture of your pastry.
If you've ever felt like your homemade scones are never wonderfully moist no matter how you make them, we have a 1-ingredient trick that will transform your scones from hockey pucks to the stars of your next breakfast or brunch.
Thanks to content creator Erika Kwee, better known as the Pancake Princess, we now know that the almond paste is the secret to perfectly moist, tender scones. Here's what you need to know to make stellar scones at home.
Related: 12 Fun and Easy Scone Recipes Your Kids Will Love
What is Almond Paste?
A sweet and super dense blend of primarily ground almonds and sugar, almond paste is rich with a smooth, tacky texture and a toasty, nutty flavor. Bakers often use almond paste to make fillings for pies or pastries like croissants, and to make cakes and cookies. You can buy tubes or cans of almond paste in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
If you want to make your own almond paste, the basic process is pretty easy. In other words, it won't drive you nuts! As Erika explains in her video, all you need to do is put almond flour (or ground almonds), all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, water and almond extract in a food processor and mix until you have a smooth dough. Pro tip: When rolling out almond paste, use powdered sugar instead of flour.
Related: 16 Almond Recipes To Go Nuts Over
Why You Should Add Almond Paste to Scones
1. It adds moisture and improves texture. The fat content and creamy consistency of almond paste can protect scones from turning dry and crumbly. If they last that long, those tasty wedges will stay tender for days on end. Adding pieces of almond paste in between the layers of scone dough adds wonderful pockets of chewiness that taste blissful with the flaky pastry.
2. You get a hint of nutty goodness. Better texture is just the beginning. Almond paste also gives scones a sweet, deeply fragrant almond flavor. It has a similar vibe to an almond croissant from your favorite bakery.
Related: The Beloved French Pastry You Can Make at Home With a Box of Frozen Dough
How to Add Almond Paste to Scones
Start off with any cream and butter scone recipe like this one. Make your dough, press it into a disk, and let it chill. Thinly roll out the almond paste and cut it into squares. Roll the chilled scone dough into a rectangle. Add one piece of the almond paste to the scone dough and fold it over. Repeat that process one more time, cut the dough into wedges, brush with cream and bake. Serve with hot tea and wait for the compliments to roll in!
Our Very Best Scone Recipes
Try the almond paste trick with these recipes to make them that much better.
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