Pear Almond Scones with Honey Almond Glaze

I was in Utah a little over a week ago and had the opportunity to get together with one of my great blogging friends, Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod (who I met last summer and then again at BlogHer Food). She is such a sweet, fun person to spend time with and we have a lot of similar food interests, so we scheduled a morning to hang out and cook together. Having the opportunity to cook and talk one on one about food and blogging with someone who shares the same passion as me made the morning extra memorable.

During our drive to Utah, Maria and I chatted back and forth through twitter about our menu. I was practically drooling with anticipation after our 10 hour car ride. We made Baked Fritatta with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Feta (which you can find over at Maria's blog), Pear Almond Scones with Honey Almond Glaze, and had a granola parfait bar. For drinks we had orange juice and grapefruit water. The grapefruit water was all Maria's idea and so refreshing. All you do is slice up wedges of grapefruit, like you would do with lemons, and add them to a pitcher of ice cold water.

The brunch was a huge hit with my family and a great way to celebrate delicious food and great friendships. Maria was such a thoughtful person and made me go sit and talk with my family while she cleaned up the mess. I hope Maria and I have the opportunity to get together for some fun in the kitchen again soon.

Here is the recipe for the Pear Almond Scones with Honey Almond Glaze. If you've had bad experiences with dry, dense scones, don't worry! These scones have a nice crumb and are kept incredibly moist by the diced pears.

For the Baked Frittata with Artichokes, Sundried Tomatoes and Feta recipe see Maria's blog.

Pear Almond Scones
adapted from Strawberry Mascarpone Scones

• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/2 cup butter, sliced
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 3/4 cup fresh pear, peeled and diced

Honey Almond Glaze:

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, almond extract and honey. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the mascarpone cheese and butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the egg mixture and the pear. Gently stir until the dough forms together. Knead on a floured surface a few times - be gentle so you don't squish the pears too much. Divide dough into two equal portions. Flatten into 8 inch rounds and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Score each round into 8 equal triangles.

Bake at 375 degrees F on a parchment paper lined sheet for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, combine powdered sugar, honey, and almond extract for the glaze. Set aside until scones have cooled. Cut each round into eights. Cool on a wired rack. When cooled completely, drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with sliced almonds.