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Make Ahead

Almond Scones

by:
December  5, 2010
4.7
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 10 to 12
Author Notes

Tip: if the almond paste is canned, remove it from the can and freeze it before grating. —Judith Rae

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Judith Rae is a Food52er who eats almond scones for breakfast.
WHAT: The most almond-y almond scones you've ever had, thanks to a special trick.
HOW: Cut your butter into your dry ingredients; grate frozen almond paste into the batter; mix in buttermilk and egg; pat out the dough; cut into scones; bake.
WHY WE LOVE IT: We love how deep the almond flavor is in these scones; that grated almond paste adds a depth we're not used to in our morning baked goods. These would be just as awesome for breakfast as for an afternoon tea -- or, if we're being honest here, with whipped cream for dessert. —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 ounces butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • 7 ounces almond paste, frozen
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg, mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water
  • Coarse sugar
  • Chopped or sliced almonds
Directions
  1. Prehead oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Using a stand mixer, cut butter into dry ingredients.
  3. Grate frozen almond paste with large-hole side of 4-sided grater and stir into flour mixture.
  4. Mix buttermilk, almond extract, and egg and add to flour mixture, stirring until just mixed.
  5. Turn out onto floured surface and knead gently until just smooth.
  6. Pat down to 3/4-inch thickness and cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds.
  7. Brush rounds with egg and water mixture, then sprinkle with sugar and almonds.
  8. Bake at 400°F until golden brown, around 18 minutes.
  9. Cool scones on a rack.
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21 Reviews

Write a Review
oussamasi March 8, 2023
[link=foodrecipeshome.com] thanks [/link]
oussamasi March 8, 2023
thanks for sharing
Jacqueline October 24, 2021
Did anyone actually freeze the almond paste? It was way to hard to grate by hand, and even so hard that it broke the shaft on my food processor (Cuisinart, so not cheap).
craig August 15, 2021
Making these, but am going to add blueberries to them for a kick
ubs2007 May 17, 2020
Absolutely scrumptious!!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. My tween son loves them too!
jonajim May 23, 2018
It's been a 2 weeks since I've made these and I'm making another batch, yet again. I made these with homemade almond paste. Perfectly sweetened with the right amount of almond flavor. Toasty outside, tender inside. LOVE
Laura May 7, 2016
I was really excited about these but they came out with a really bitter aftertaste. They would have been lovely otherwise. Was it too much almond extract? I thought a tsp seemed like a lot but used anyway since the recipe got such good reviews.
Laura E. February 20, 2016
Is the dough supossed to be extremely wet?
Laura E. February 20, 2016
What did I do wrong? Followed recipe to the letter and the scones completely flattened in the oven and run into each other.
Just like when cookies have too much butter.
Any ideas?
Monica M. July 15, 2014
I recently made these and they were very tasty, with that slightly chewy center, deep almond flavor, and the nice extra crunch on top. I adore all baked goods made with almond paste so I was very happy to find this recipe and get to make and taste them. Thanks for sharing!
mstv May 28, 2014
I made these this morning - didn't have a biscuit cutter or good substitute so I just (for a half recipe) patted it into a circle and cut into wedges. Served them with butter and homemade Seville orange marmalade but they were quite delicious by themselves. I think it would be fun to try with coconut oil (solid) instead of butter. They don't have that much butter for the amount of flour (b/c of the almond paste). Moist and buttery. We have 2 leftover - will reheat tomorrow and see how they are the 2nd day. I think they will keep nicely b/c of the almond paste.
AntoniaJames May 12, 2014
Excellent recipe. Made them yesterday afternoon to use instead of a standard biscuit for strawberry shortcake. I made my own almond paste and did not bother to freeze and grate it; I just worked it in with the butter, using my food processor. Added a touch of vanilla just because.
This made 14 medium-sized scones; I patted about a third of the dough into a small disk and cut it into 6 wedges, which I baked close to one another to make them rise more. (I put the disk on the parchment on the baking sheet, then cut the dough and gently pull each wedge out about an inch, leaving about an inch between the wedges.) The sliced almonds on top are a nice touch!
The remaining dough I patted into a larger disc, cut into 8 wedges, which I froze, separating them on a large baking sheet and freezing individually before wrapping and bagging for later use. ;o)
Two T. February 2, 2017
I was scanning the comments to see if anyone tried freezing the dough. Did it work well with this dough? I do it for a lot of other scone doughs : )
BananaBoat May 9, 2014
I really don't need another scone recipe, but this looks too good. When I get access to some almond paste, I will definitely be trying them out!
AntoniaJames May 7, 2014
Congratulations! I'm seriously thinking about making these for our strawberry shortcake this Sunday. I always keep almond paste on hand; many of the recipes on the "Odense" brand package years ago recommended that you grate it. (I make my own. Food52 should run an article on just that topic - and make almond paste a contest theme!) ;o)
arcane54 May 8, 2014
Do tell us how to make our own almond paste, AntoniaJames! these scones might be just the thing to make me do it!
Manhattan T. May 10, 2014
You're really going to mention that you make your own almond paste and then hold out on us? I would LOVE that recipe -- especially since I'm sure it's done in the Cuisinart!
AntoniaJames May 10, 2014
Well, I don't mean to withhold anything. I suggested that Food52 should run this as a column, but since they have not responded, I assume they're not interested, so here goes:

I've tried several different recipes for almond paste over the years, including ones made with confectioners' sugar (which give the paste a funny taste, due to the cornstarch or other anti-caking agents in it), and ones made with corn syrup (an ingredient I don't always have on hand). Of the various formulas I've tried, this is the best, in my experience: http://www.simplysogood.com/2013/07/my-favorite-almond-paste.html There may be a better one out there, but this one is so good, I have had no reason to look further.
I store it in smaller logs than the author of that blog, and immediately freeze that which I'm not using, due to the raw egg white in it.

I use the blanched slivered almonds from Trader Joe's (most convenient for me) and of course, as you suggest, it's made in the Cuisinart. Depending only the intended use, I sometimes add other extracts, e.g., lemon or fiore di Sicilia or, occasionally, my rum-based homemade vanilla extract. I'll be posting a recipe soon that incorporates both the paste and ideas for the variations. Stay tuned.
Hope this helps! ;o)
Manhattan T. May 11, 2014
Bless your sweet heart for posting the link; the recipe looks so simple. Can't wait to make it. I agree wholeheartedly w/ SimplySoGood on both fronts: purchased almond paste is ALWAYS hard as a rock and ALWAYS ridiculously expensive -- even when purchased at my favorite restaurant supply store. This will be a life-saver. Many thanks! Can't wait to see your post that uses this!
(]Celia[) May 21, 2012
Made these for brunch yesterday along with two other kinds of scones, and these were by far the favorite. The warmth of the almond paste is lovely. Can't wait to make another batch - maybe this time with dried cherries?
Judith R. December 5, 2010
I forgot to say that this is our very favorite holiday breakfast.