These apricot scones are a tasty twist on classic fruit scones and are perfect served with some whipped cream and jam. They're super easy to make and great for sharing at teatime!
It's been a while since I baked some scones but since spring has well and truly sprung, I figured it was about time. These are infused with delicious dried apricots and are topped with a zesty lemon icing. I just know you're going to love them!
Keep reading for my ingredient and equipment notes, top tips, step-by-step images and answers to FAQs. Or, if you'd like the condensed version of the recipe, you can find the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you'll need to make dried apricot scones...
- Self-raising flour: Using self-raising flour helps to create tall, fluffy scones. If you're in a pinch, you can use plain/all-purpose flour instead but make sure to add an extra 3 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe separately.
- Salt: Just a pinch, to enhance the other flavours and balance out the sweetness. Any kind of salt will work fine.
- Baking powder: For extra lifting power.
- Butter: Cold butter is key here, otherwise, it'll melt into the flour rather than creating a breadcrumb-like texture. Cutting it into small cubes before adding it to the bowl will make it easier to rub in.
- Caster sugar: Scones are not supposed to be super sweet (that's what the fillings are for) but adding a small amount of sugar helps to sweeten them just a tad.
- Milk: Brings everything together to make a dough. I used whole milk but most types of milk will work, even dairy-free alternatives.
- Dried apricots: You can buy them pre-chopped or chop them at home yourself.
- Egg: Brushing a little bit of egg on top of the scones gives them a lovely golden colour. If you don't have any eggs to hand, you can use milk or melted butter instead.
- Icing sugar: For the glaze.
- Lemon juice: I used lemon juice for my glaze because the flavour tastes nice paired with the apricots. If you don't like lemon, use milk or water instead to make a plain glaze.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls: A large one for mixing the scone dough ingredients together, and a smaller one for making the icing.
- Baking tray: These scones don't take up a lot of space on the tray so any medium-sized tray will be fine.
- Rolling pin: To roll out the dough ready for cutting.
- Cookie cutter: Use a 3-inch round cutter to ensure your scones bake as directed in the recipe. I used a fluted one. If you don't have one to hand, you can use the rim of a glass instead.
- Pastry brush: For brushing egg onto the scones.
- Wire rack: To prevent soggy-bottomed scones!
- Piping bag: Or a small spoon, to drizzle the icing on top.
How to make apricot scones
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F and line a tray with baking paper. For fan and convection ovens, set the temperature to 200°C/400°F instead.
Step 2: Place 380g of self-raising flour into a large bowl then stir in a small pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Step 3: Rub 100g of cold cubed butter into the mixture to make a breadcrumb-like texture. Then stir in 55g of caster sugar.
Step 4: Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour 180ml of milk into it. Mix well to create a rough ball (scone dough is supposed to look a bit rustic, not smooth, so be careful not to overmix it). Gently press 100g of chopped dried apricots into the ball of dough.
Step 5: Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about 2cm (¾-inch) thick. Then cut out your scone shapes using a 3-inch round cutter, re-rolling until it's all used up. You'll end up with around 8 scones.
Step 6: Place the scones closely together on the tray then brush the tops with beaten egg.
Step 7: Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden on top and cooked all the way through. If they're browning too much before they're fully cooked, you can lightly cover them with tin foil and bake for a few minutes longer.
Step 8: Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Step 9: Prepare your icing by mixing 60g of icing sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Drizzle it over the scones.
Step 10: Serve with whipped cream and apricot jam and enjoy!
Top Tips
- If you have the extra time, you can grate the cold butter instead of cutting it into cubes. It'll incorporate more easily into the flour and create a more tender texture.
- For extra flavour, add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the milk before mixing it into the dry ingredients.
- Don't roll the dough too thin, otherwise your scones won't rise properly.
- Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to ensure baking time stays the same.
- Place the scones closely together on the tray. This will help them to rise upwards rather than outwards.
- For an extra crispy top, sprinkle a bit of granulated sugar over the egg-washed scones before baking.
FAQs
These are best eaten fresh on the day they're made but they'll keep well for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes, scones can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. To defrost them, let them sit out on a wire rack for an hour or two and enjoy them on the same day.
No, I don't recommend it. Fresh apricots contain a lot more moisture, which will make the dough wetter and may result in soggy scones. I'd say stick with dried apricots for this recipe- they give a nice chewy texture and bold flavour that works really well.
Yes, just replace the self-raising flour with a gluten-free self-raising flour blend. You may need to add more liquid depending on the flour you use. If your flour blend doesn't already contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon of that separately to prevent crumbly scones. Be careful though as it's potent stuff!
More teatime treats:
I hope you like my apricot scones. If you make them at home, please leave a comment and rating to let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Easy Apricot Scones
Ingredients
- 380 g Self-raising flour (3 cups)
- Small Pinch Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking powder
- 100 g Cold butter, cut into cubes (7 tablespoons)
- 55 g Caster sugar (¼ cup)
- 180 ml Milk (¾ cup)
- 100 g Chopped dried apricots (⅔ cup)
- 1 Small Egg, beaten
Glaze (optional):
- 60 g Icing sugar (½ cup)
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a tray with baking paper. If you're using a fan or convection oven, set it to 200℃ (400℉) instead.
- Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl.
- Rub the butter in to make a breadcrumb-like mixture then stir in the caster sugar.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture then pour the milk into it. Mix well then press everything together into a rough ball of dough. Do not overwork it or you'll end up with tough scones.
- Gently press the chopped apricots into the dough.
- Roll the dough out to around ¾-inch thick and cut out your scones using a 3-inch round cutter. You should end up with roughly 8 scones.
- Place the scones close together on your lined tray then brush the tops with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through. If the tops have browned before the centre is cooked, cover the tray with tin foil and bake for a few minutes longer.
- Once cooked, transfer them to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together to make the glaze then drizzle it over the scones. Serve with butter or with whipped cream and apricot jam.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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