Pear and Hazelnut Praline Scones

Scones are a thing of beauty. Buttery, flaky and oh so satisfying. What a pity that most cafes in Auckland sell only either cheese scones or date scones. Occasionally lemon and blueberry, if they are adventurous. 

Thinking outside the scone-box is in order. This recipe is my attempt to explore flavours beyond the well-known crowd-pleasing favourites. The result is a lightly sweet scone with a hint of cinnamon. The praline adds depth to the flavour while surprisingly intense bursts of freshness are coming through from the pear. An absolute delight with a cup of tea or coffee.

Pear and Hazelnut Praline Scones

makes 8 small or 6 large scones

Praline

50g caster sugar

0.5 tbsp water

0.5 tsp lemon juice

25g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Scones

225g all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

a generous pinch of salt

30g brown sugar

0.25 tsp cinnamon

60g butter, cold

120ml buttermilk

75g Packham pear, peeled and cut into small chunks

a splash of milk

Preheat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan). 

Make the praline: Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.  In a small thick bottomed saucepan combine sugar, water and lemon juice. Swirl the pot around until all the sugar crystals are covered with liquid. Cook over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved and starting to colour. Boil for about 5-6 minutes without stirring. Gently swirl around the pan every now and then to stop the sugar from burning in places. Watch closely, the colour changes quite quickly. When golden, add hazelnuts and quickly pour onto the lined baking tray. Pick up the tray and tilt to spread out the praline.

Let cool completely. Break into small pieces and grind into a very coarse 'powder' in a food processor.

Make the scones: 

Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.  

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut the butter in to small cubes. In a food processor combine flour mix and cubed butter. Pulse a few times until it resembles small crumbs. In a bowl combine the flour and butter mix with the praline powder and pear chunks and mix until the pear is distributed evenly. 

Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Using a knife, mix until the ingredients are just starting to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a smooth-ish dough. It should be slightly sticky, add a little more flour if it is too sticky. Avoid overworking the dough.

Pat the dough into a 3cm thick disc. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out scones or cut the dough into wedges. Freeze for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and chill the butter for a flakier texture.

Place them on the lined baking tray.  Brush the tops with milk. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Serve with cream or greek yoghurt - or simply a pat of butter.