Bakewell Scones

There is nothing I enjoy more than taking a traditional British baking idea and adding my own creative twist to it. Call me crazy, but . . . I get a whole lot of satisfaction out of this activity.



One of my favourite flavours over here has to be Bakewell anything . . . tarts, pudding . . . I think it's just fabulous.



Bakewell tarts are little shortcrust pastry tarts filled with jam and almond flavoured sponge. Topped with an almond fondant icing and a cherry, I even enjoy the cheap grocery shop versions.



Bakewell pudding traditionally has a flakey pastry base, covered with jam and an almond frangipane filling, and is exclusive to the Derbyshire town of Bakewell.



Call it what you will, I just love the elements of Bakewell . . tart, pudding . . . whatever. If you have almonds cherries and jam involved, I am there!



I have made the traditional Bakewell Tarts on here in the past, and then I have played with the flavours a bit more and created Bakewell Whoopie Pies. (Oh my but they were good, good . . . GOOD!) I even once baked a Raspberry Bakewell Cake from a recipe I found in BBC Good Food Magazine.



When we got home from church today I thought I would bake some scones and I thought to myself . . . hmmm . . . Bakewell Scones might be tasty!



Imagine it now . . . yummy sweet seedless raspberry preserves, sandwiched between two scone layers made all buttery and flakey with marzipan and butter having been rubbed in . . . with a touch of flaked coconut (not traditional I know) for some added texture, and then topped with an egg wash and flaked almonds. Baked until scrummily flakey and crisp on the bottom and top and then drizzled with an almond glaze and topped with a glace cherry half, I have only two words to describe these little delights.



Moreishly Moreish!!

Sooooooo scrummily yummy! I bet you can't stop at eating just one . . .



Sinful I know! But what a wonderfully wicked way to go! I think I have found a new weakness to add to the rest . . . sigh . . .



*Bakewell Scones*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Raspberry preserves sandwiched between two layers of a scrummy almond and coconut scone dough, topped with crunchy flaked almonds and then finally glazed with an almond glaze and topped with a glace cherry!

8 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
2 TBS caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 ounces flaked sweetened coconut (1/2 cup)
3 1/2 ounces marzipan, chilled (about 1/3 cup)
2 ounces chilled unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
100ml of milk (1/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 TBS seedless raspberry preserves
1 egg yolk, beaten together with 1/2 tsp water
3 TBS flaked almonds
To glaze:
2 ounces icing sugar
a few drops of almond extract
water
4 glace cherries halved

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*f/ gas mark 5. Lightly butter a baking sheet and set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut together in a bowl. Cut the marzipan and butter into bits and drop them into the flour mixture. Rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Whisk the whole egg, milk and extracts together. Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir in with a fork to make a soft dough. Divide in half and pat out 3/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Stamp into 8 rounds with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, gathering the scraps and repeating until you have 8 rounds. Place the 8 rounds on the baking sheet. Top each with 1/2 tsp of raspberry jam, keeping it in the centre. Pat out the remaining dough to the same thickness as the first lot and stamp out 8 more rounds, once again gathering the scraps and re patting. Place these rounds over top of the jam topped rounds, pressing gently around the edges to seal the jam inside. Brush the tops of each lightly with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with flaked almonds, pressing them in gently.

Bake in the heated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until well risen and golden brown on the tops and bottoms. Remove from the oven to a wire rack.

Whisk together the icing sugar, almond extract and enough water to make a smooth drizzable glaze. Dribble this over the warm scones and top each with a cherry half.

Delicious served warm or cold. Store in a tightly covered container.