Just Peachy

I ADORE peaches and am so lucky to live in the state that produces the most peaches in the nation. Go South Carolina!

The local farmer's market is so lovely and its great to get out on a Saturday morning and spend some time getting inspired by the fresh fruits and vegetables; I just had to pick up a basket of the peaches- they were staring me straight in the face and making my mouth water!

I got a little big for my britches and ended up going home with 16 of those lovely peaches. The only problem is that my hubby doesn't really care for peaches (crazy, I know) so I had to think of a way to eat them other than straight or in a this basil, peach and red onion salad.

So I started thinking. I saw a recipe on A Cozy Kitchen for strawberries and cream scones. Why couldn't I redo the recipe for peaches? My stomach growled, making it clear that the direction was indeed good. So I started playing with it and cut up about 2 peaches and made this recipe:

Peaches and Cream Scones
Inspired by A Cozy Kitchen

1 cup diced peaches (2-3 medium peaches) peeled works best
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons white granulated sugar (this amount was perfect for me, not too sweet, but add more if you want your scone on the sweeter side)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place peaches on a lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the peaches are dehydrated. This will keep them from "leaking" in the scones and making it soggy.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and turn oven up to 425 degrees F.

3. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

4. Cut the cold butter into small chunks. Mix hte butter into the flour mixture until it looks like a coarse meal. I like to get a little messy and work the butter into the flour by hand, but a pastry cutter will work as well. Gently stir in peaches. Pour in the heavy cream and mix until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

6. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to a slightly floured counter and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Pat the dough into a flat circle about 1 inch thick and cut the scones into 8 wedges. Separate and place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water together and brush the tops’ of the scones with the egg wash.

7. Transfer the baking sheet to the hot oven and bake until scones are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm with butter or jelly, preferably on a porch with a mug of coffee!