Peach Scones with Vanilla Almond Glaze
These bakery-style peach scones are golden on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and packed with fresh peach chunks in every bite. The sweet vanilla almond glaze takes them completely over the edge.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Box grater - for grating frozen butter
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife - or bench scraper
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - 250g, plus more for dusting
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar - 38g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - 113g, frozen
- 1 cup fresh peaches - about 165g, diced into 1/2-inch pieces, about 2 medium peaches
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - 120ml, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup sour cream - 60g
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
For the Vanilla Almond Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar - 120g
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream - 30-45ml
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Optional Topping
- coarse sugar - turbinado or sparkling sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Freeze the butter for at least 30 minutes. Wash, peel, and dice fresh peaches into 1/2-inch cubes, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Grate frozen butter into the flour mixture using a box grater. Toss with a fork to coat and keep cold.
- Add diced peaches to the flour mixture and toss gently to coat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, sour cream, egg, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer wedges to baking sheet, brush tops with heavy cream, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, almond extract, and salt until smooth. Drizzle over warm scones.
Notes
- Keep everything cold: Cold butter, cold cream, and even a cold bowl will help create flaky, tender scones. Warm ingredients melt the butter before baking and you'll lose that signature texture.
- Pat the peaches dry: Fresh peaches release juice when cut. Patting them dry prevents excess moisture from making the dough sticky and difficult to shape.
- Grate, don't cut the butter: Grating frozen butter creates thin, even shreds that distribute more evenly through the dough than cut cubes, giving you better flakiness throughout.
- Minimal mixing is key: Stir only until the dough just comes together. A few streaks of flour are fine — overmixing develops gluten and leads to tough scones.
- Pat, don't roll: Rolling presses out the butter and compacts the layers. Gentle patting keeps those fluffy pockets intact.
- Make ahead option: Shape the scone wedges, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate overnight. Bake straight from the fridge in the morning for even flakier results.
- Freezing instructions: Freeze unbaked scone wedges on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
- Storage: Store unglazed scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 4 days. Add glaze just before serving.
- Frozen peach substitute: Thaw frozen peaches completely, drain off any liquid, and pat very dry before using. Fresh peaches give the brightest flavor in peak summer.
- Glaze variations: Try a lemon glaze by replacing the almond extract with fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice for a bright, citrusy finish.