Toffee Almond Scones Recipe

It's been years since I made scones, but I honestly can't tell you why. They were one of the first baked goods I'd ever made, mainly because they were easy and didn't require any special equipment. But I adore scones, so much so that they're usually my pastry of choice in a coffee shop, so it was time to revisit my beloved baked good.

This scone recipe came out of the fact that a bag of toffee chips has been lurking in my baking pantry, quietly urging me to make something delicious with them. Toffee reminds me of brittle, which makes me think of nuts, so click! Toffee Almond Scones was born. These scones are a welcome change from the cream or fruit laden ones, but they're not so sweet that you can't have one for breakfast. The secret to the light texture here? Grating frozen butter on a box grater. Trust me people, you'll never cube up cold butter for recipes again once you've tried this method. So make a batch of these and savor with a café au lait on a lazy Saturday morning.  (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)

Toffee Almond Scones

Makes: 8 scones
Total Time:           20 minutes, plus cooling time
Hands-On Time:  15 minutes

Good to Know:  These scones are best eaten the same day they are 
                                   made. You can freeze the unbaked scones instead, 
                                   but you may need to add a few minutes to the baking
                                   time.

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INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2/3 cup toffee chips
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 large egg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), frozen solid
1 tablespoon granulated sugar or coarse sugar, such as turbinado, for sprinkling

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
   
2. Combine the measured flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Add the toffee chips and almonds and toss until well combined; set aside. Whisk together 3/4 cup of the heavy cream and the egg in a small bowl until the egg is broken up; set aside.
   
3. Grate the frozen butter through the large holes on a box grater; add it to the flour mixture and toss with your hands until well combined. Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together and is shaggy, making sure there is no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
   
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead about 1 or 2 turns to help the dough stay together, then gently pat and shape it into an 8-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Dip a large sharp knife in some extra flour, tap off the excess, and cut into 8 wedges.
   
5. Place the scones at least 3/4 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake until the scones are puffed and the tops are golden and flecked with brown, about 12 minutes. (If the scones on one side of the pan begin to get too dark, rotate the pan to ensure even cooking.) 
   
6. Remove the scones to a wire rack to cool at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.