Apricot Scones with White Chocolate and Walnuts: Always a Good Idea

Sneak Preview: These Apricot Scones with white chocolate and walnuts produce a memorable sugar-crusted cream breakfast scone packed with interesting textures and eye appeal that’s hard to resist.

White Chocolate, Dried Apricot and Walnut Scones--ready to eatPin

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

These scones don’t show up in my kitchen very often because they are rich, a tad expensive, and not low-calorie. But they are so worth it for guests or a special occasion.

Why This Recipe is Special Enough for Guests

  1. Prepare these Apricot Scones ahead of time and freeze them. Bake when ready to eat.
  2. The dried apricots, white chocolate, and walnuts are an unexpected combination that tastes fab.
  3. The main ingredients have a long shelf life, so you can keep them in your pantry or fridge to make several batches as needed.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“This is a solid scone recipe that was easy to prepare. I swapped half the flour for wheat flour and the texture & flavor was still nice. I especially appreciated the tip about freezing & baking when needed. That worked out lovely!”KATRINA

Recipe Inspiration

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer in the kitchen at Bible Study Fellowship headquarters in San Antonio. Their motto emphasizes excellence in service to the Lord. 

The food they prepare is just one example. After helping to serve these white chocolate and dried apricot scones for breakfast one morning, I was thrilled to get the recipe.


Ingredients and Substitutions

  • FLOUR: Use all-purpose or pastry flour. Bleached or unbleached flours are both acceptable.
  • SUGAR: Granulated white sugar is my first choice. Because the apricots and white chocolate add sweetness, not to mention the sanding sugar on top, you could get away with half the sugar specified.
  • BAKING POWDER: No substitutes. Be sure it’s fresh. After you open a can, it’s only good for six months to a year. Learn more about how to tell if your baking powder has lost its potency.
  • SALT: Use table salt or sea salt. If using Kosher salt, add ¼ teaspoon extra.
  • BUTTER: You could substitute shortening or lard, but butter gives a richer flavor. Butter should be very cold for maximum flakiness.
  • HEAVY CREAM: Buttermilk is thick enough to preserve the wonderful texture of these scones. Otherwise, stick with the heavy cream for the best scones.
  • WALNUTS: Other possibilities include pecans and macadamia nuts. Don’t skip the toasting. It’s easy to toast nuts in your microwave.
  • APRICOTS: Any dried fruit can be used to substitute for the apricots. You won’t need to chop them if they are small, like raisins, dried cranberries, or blueberries.
  • SANDING SUGAR: Optional, but worth the trouble.


📌Kitchen Tips📌

1. Make these dried apricot scones ahead of time.

If you need to make these ahead, freeze the shaped dough, but don’t bake them until the day you want to serve them.

2. Roll out scone dough on a silicone baking sheet.

Toss silicone baking sheets in the dishwasher for easy clean-up. However, be careful when cutting the dough into triangle shapes. You don’t want to damage your mat. I do it all the time without consequence.


How To Shape Apricot White Chocolate Scones with Walnuts

scone dough shaped into a squarePin
Pat dough lightly into a square shape–a rolling pin is optional.
cutting dough into 8 wedgesPin
Cut into eight equally-sized wedges.
finishing scones with sugar before bakingPin
Coat each scone with heavy cream before sprinkling with sanding sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to making good scones?

Handle the dough lightly and quickly. Keep the butter cold. Don’t substitute milk for the cream.

How long do scones stay fresh?

Like donuts and brioche, scones are best eaten the day they are baked. Before they cool off is the best time to eat them. It’s better to freeze unbaked scones and only bake what you know you will eat immediately.


Have a Scone and Donut-Tasting Party


Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

Apricot Scones with White Chocolate and Walnuts sitting on a marble slab.Pin
Yield: 8 large scones

Apricot Scones with White Chocolate and Walnuts Recipe

These Apricot Scones with white chocolate and walnuts are a sugar-crusted cream breakfast scone so rich and decadent that they are always a good idea for brunch or breakfast for company.

Rate this recipe

(5 stars if you loved it)

4 from 3 votes
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE SEND EMAIL
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • cup (67 g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (57 g) butter
  • ½ cup (119 g) heavy cream + some for glazing
  • 1 large (50 g) egg
  • teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces (114 g) white chocolate
  • cup (78 g) walnuts toasted
  • cup (87 g) dried apricots or raisins finely chopped dried
  • Sanding sugar for tops

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 ˚C).
  • Combine the first four ingredients. Add cold butter and cut in with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse oatmeal.
  • Whisk together heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl before adding it to the dry ingredients. Stir in white chocolate, walnuts, and apricots. The mixture will be crumbly.
  • Pour crumbly mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and use hands to press together into a large patty about 9-inches square and 1-inch thick. Cut into four pieces using the shape of a “plus” sign. Cut each square in half diagonally, resulting in 8 scones. For mini-scones, cut each triangle in half.
  • Brush tops of scones with heavy cream, then dip tops into a bowl of sanding sugar (easier than sprinkling sugar on top). Place onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. The bottoms of these scones tend to brown quickly, so I position them on a rack closer to the top of my oven than the bottom. Whether you need to do the same will depend on the cookie sheet you use and your oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 823IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Help others find this recipe in search results on the web.

My Amazon Store

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is a solid scone recipe that was easy to prepare. I swapped half the flour for wheat flour and the texture & flavor was still nice. I especially appreciated the tip about freezing & baking when needed. That worked out lovely!

  2. These look so good! If I had some heavy cream, I’d make them tonight for tomorrow’s breakfast. Definitely making them soon, though. Love that they can be made ahead. 🙂

  3. These look delicious. The picture alone is making my mouth water. I do love scones and a nice hot cup of tea.

  4. Scrumptious! I really have to buckle down and make myself some scones for the first time ever!