Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones

I have a bit of an obsession with goat cheese, so when I was looking for another recipe to try from Savory Baking, I chose to make these scones. I loved them - the combination of tangy goat cheese, sweet pears and spicy pepper was awesome!


Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones
Savory Baking, Mary Cech

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium pear, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
4 ounces goat cheese, broken into large walnut-size pieces
1/2 cup whole or low-fat (1% or 2%) plain yogurt
2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more for brushing

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and stir together. Add the butter and break it into pea-size pieces with your fingertips. Sprinkle the pear pieces and crumbled goat cheese over the top of the flour mixture and gently toss together, being careful not to break the cheese into smaller pieces.

Soften the yogurt by whisking in the milk. Pour the yogurt over the flour mixture and gently blend the ingredients together with a spatula, being careful not to break up the cheese. The dough may look slightly dry, but it will produce a moist scone. Divide the dough into six equal mounds on the baking sheet, leaving about a 1-inch space between each to allow for slight spreading.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until lightly brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.


6 servings