A Southern Grace: a is for apricot (and almond)

April 19, 2013

a is for apricot (and almond)

Yum

How do you pronounce "apricot"? Most people around here say "app-ricot" but for some reason, I say "ape-ricot." I imagine somewhere it's pronounced "ah-pricot," and some goobers who like to Frenchify things might say "apri-co."


I make scones for my bakery just about every day, and in order to retain my sanity and have a little bit of fun with it, I'm apt to try different things from time to time. This experimentation usually meets with mediocre satisfaction, but there have been a few never-to-be-mentioned-again tragedies and an occasional super success. Since I've placed this alliterative creation firmly in the latter category, I thought I'd go ahead and share it with you.


What's not to love about dried apricots? They're vibrantly-hued, chewy, sweet, and tasty. When it comes to making fruit scones, I very much prefer using dried fruits, as you never know how much liquid fresh fruits will expel into the scones as they bake. If you're not careful, you can end up with less of a baked good and more of a puddle. The ground almonds were a real revelation--they add nutty flavor and a great texture.


Here's a little known fact (because why else am I here other than to amuse and enlighten you?): The seeds of some apricots are so sweet, they may be substituted for almonds. Amaretto and amaretti biscotti are flavored with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. Consider yourself schooled!

Almond Apricot Scones
Makes 8
Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup almonds, finely ground
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Zest of one orange
  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup apricots, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the dry ingredients (including orange zest) and cut in the butter until a coarse, crumbly mixture is formed.
Mix in the buttermilk, orange juice, and apricots using a fork until everything is moistened and then turn the batter out onto a floured surface.
Form the dough into a 6-inch wide disk about an inch in height.
Apply an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, then cut the disk into 8 wedges.
Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet with about 2 inches between them and bake for 20-25 minutes.

24 comments:

Alicia Foodycat said...

I say ape-ricot. Dried apricots also make a really delicious jam.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A great combination! Delicious.

Cheers,

Rosa

Sue/the view from great island said...

You've got me with these, Grace. Apricot and almond is one of my all time favorites. And in a scone? Have mercy!

giz said...

Ihad to laugh at the variety of ways to say apricots. My mother in her broken English calls them ap-ri-coz". They're also her favourite. This is definitely a treat she would appreciate... me too!

Carolyn Jung said...

Two ingredients that definitely make magic when put together. Yum!

Bunny said...

I have yet to dive in and make scones, I need to do it. Apricot is so elegant isn't it. Great info about the fresh fruit adding more liquid! Goobers...I love it! LOL!!

José Manuel said...

Que interesante, me gusta

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Mmm it's raining outside and I'd love some scones!! :D I'm still trying to figure out the difference between biscuits and scones :P

Beth said...

This sounds like a great combination. I love using apricots in my baking too!

Joanne said...

I'm an app-ricot girl but I know a few ape-ricots! I love them dried...favorite fruit ever. They sound great in these scones!

Rosita Vargas said...

Es una delicia quiero probar esta idea se ve muy rico,abrazos y abrazos.

Leslie said...

I saw it the same way you do! These look wonderful Grace!

My Kitchen Stories. said...

Aww looks delicious. We say apricot here in Australia, but however you say it they taste beautiful. A great test combo

Mimi said...

Kitchen success it's what we live for. Your scones look delicious.
Mimi


Pam said...

I've only made scones a few times. This is a great combination of flavors...they look delicious.

Barbara said...

Oh yes, I'm going to LOVE these! My favorite cookie is Giada's with apricots, pine nuts and almonds. I can just imagine the combo in a scone. How fabulous!

Katerina said...

In Greece we call the apricot ve-ri-ko-ko. I think it is a funny name don't you? Anyway the scones look perfect and very fragrant indeed!

Blond Duck said...

We drawl it out.

Marjie said...

You can pronounce "apricot" any way you like when it's in something as nice as these scones!

Unknown said...

In Oregon my family always called them ah-pricots, but my Dad has a Greek accent and called them aye-pricots. Either way, these scones look delicious!

I Wilkerson said...

"apri-co" - too funny! It was good to hear I am not the only one with mediocre to dismal results sometimes, but these sound great!

Louisa said...

I'm an ape-ricot girl too! And I love them, so I will definitely be trying this!

Tracey said...

I say ape-ricot. This is my first time on your blog, found you on Garden and Gun's list of best southern food bloggers. Like what I see so far. These looks really amazing.

grace said...

@Tracey: thank you! frankly, i'm honored to be associated with that magazine in any way. :)