Plum Almond Scones

My plum tree is overflowing, so I've been looking for ways to use them up, besides feeding them to the chickens. 🐔  I made jam for the first time and it turned out great! Then this morning I went to my trusty Simply Scones cookbook to see if there was a recipe for Plum Scones. There was... I made them.... and they turned out delicious! My son came over for breakfast and he agreed.  These scones are not too sweet and the addition of toasted slivered almonds takes them to the top.  I decided to make a simple powdered sugar and milk icing for added sweetness and appeal. You can ice them or not, your choice. Enjoy!!

Plum Almond Scones
Makes ~12 scones

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (omit if you use salted butter)
6 TB unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped plums (2-4 firm fresh plums)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced blanched almonds, toasted*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly butter a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. (Omit salt if using salted butter.)  Using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients and stir until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, egg and vanilla.  Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in the chopped plums and almonds until evenly distributed.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between scones.  Bake 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

Remove from baking sheet and serve warm, or cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Make a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk to drizzle over the top if desired. Sliced almonds look really nice sprinkled on the top too.

*To toast almonds, place in a non-stick pan over medium heat on the stove and stir until lightly browned.

Enjoy!