Pear, Pancetta & Pecan Scones with Honey-Mascarpone Cream

Pear, Pancetta & Pecan Scones with Honey-Mascarpone Cream

Ripe pear, savory pancetta, and nutty pecans gives contrasting flavors that work so well together. Offer guests a complementary honey-sweetened homemade mascarpone cheese spread.

Pear, Pancetta & Pecan Scones
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup diced peeled firm ripe pear
  • ⅓ cup chopped toasted pecans
  • ⅓ cup coarsely chopped cooked pancetta
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided
  • 2 large eggs, divided
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, mace, and pepper. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pear, pecans, and pancetta.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup cream, 1 egg, and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture, stirring until evenly moist. Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms. (If mixture seems dry and dough won’t come together, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.)
  4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently by patting dough and folding in half 3 to 4 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut 12 scones from dough, rerolling scraps as needed. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 egg and remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Brush mixture over tops of scones.
  6. Bake until edges of scones are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Honey-Mascarpone Cream
Serves: approximately 1 cup
 
Honey gives this sumptuous spread, made from equal parts heavy cream and mascarpone cheese, the right amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat cold cream with a mixer at high speed until thickened. Add mascarpone cheese, honey, and vanilla extract, beating at high speed until incorporated and mixture thickens. Cover, refrigerate, and use within 4 days.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.