Winter Morning Recipe: Honeyed Grapefruit Oat Scones
I am biased because I love scones. And I can’t seem to get enough grapefruit or citrus lately so these are a win/win as far as I’m concerned. But I think even non-scone folks will appreciate the oat-strewn dough, subtle citrus bite, and warm notes of ginger and honey you’ll find in this recipe. Moistened with a heap of Greek yogurt, this is your new winter go-to scone.
There are many different types of scones out there. First, there are cream scones that rely on cream or milk to soften and join the dry ingredients. Then there are the always-reliable (and my personal favorite) butter scones which call for working bits of butter into the dry ingredients for a super flaky breakfast treat. And then there are all of the scone recipes that fall somewhere in between. This is one such scone. It has a healthy portion of unsalted butter so it’s pleasantly flaky, but also a good scoop of Greek yogurt which adds extra moisture and loosens up the crumb.
What I love about this recipe, besides the chunks of juicy grapefruit, is the blend of flours. If you’ve yet to use oat flour, it has a really nice, mild sweetness that works well in muffin and scone recipes. To use it for the entire recipe would result in a clunkier scone, but here, the percentage of all-purpose and oat flour here makes it pretty close to perfect. Like with most scones and pastry, the trick is to work quickly so as not to let the butter get too warm. Also, when you’re finished mixing the dough you may find it to be on on the wet side; that’s okay. Use flour liberally when you’re shaping and cutting them, and you’ll be just fine.
Because they contain juicy bits of citrus, these scones run the risk of burning on the bottoms if you’re not careful. The juice from the grapefruit, if handled too forcefully when forming and cutting, can drip to the bottom of each scone and burn, so do be careful when handling. These are best the day they’re baked. If your family isn’t going to finish all six, feel free to freeze them in an air-tight container to enjoy later, but they won’t be nearly as crumbly and firm the following day.
Honeyed Grapefruit Oat Scones
Makes6 scones
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 cup
all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups
oat flour
- 1 cup
old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar plus more to sprinkle on top
- 1 teaspoon
baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon
ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
salt
- 1
Ruby Red grapefruit, zested and segmented (see below)
- 1 tablespoon
orange zest
- 8 ounces
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter, sliced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup
plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons
honey
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt. Toss the grapefruit zest and orange zest with the dry ingredients.
Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small, coarse peas. Work quickly so the butter doesn't warm too much. Add the yogurt and honey, and toss everything together with a fork or your hands until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.
Add the grapefruit pieces last. Quickly and gently envelope them into the scone mixture. You don't want the grapefruit chunks to become smashed or release much juice as that will alter the texture of your scones.
Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form into an 8-inch circle, about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into six triangles using a knife. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top and firm but soft in the center. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
• How To Segment the Grapefruit: Slice off the bottom and top of the grapefruit and use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and white pith. Slice in between the white skin segments to release the wedges of fruit. Chop each segment in half and set aside. If you've never sliced a grapefruit, see this quick video tutorial.
Related: Recipe: Real Irish Scones
(Image: Megan Gordon)