Panettone Scones

This post was created in partnership with Icelandic Provisions.

Scones have always been a favorite baked good, and I love both making and eating them. Over the years I’ve made a plethora of them – every shape and kind you can think of. These maple oatmeal scones are a reader favorite, as well as my autumn inspired pumpkin scones.

I usually make the base of my scones with crème fraîche or sour cream, but I was happy to discover that skyr works just as well. I made these Panettone scones with Icelandic Provisions Plain Skyr and orange juice (replacing the crème fraîche and heavy cream) and they were absolutely delicious. A mix of dried cherries, apricots, cranberries, pineapple, or candied orange peels (whatever you have in the pantry) are added, along with almond paste for traditional panettone flavors.

What is Skyr?

Skyr is similar to yogurt but because of the heirloom Icelandic cultures used to make it, it has a different texture. It takes nearly four cups of milk to make one cup of skyr, making it thicker, and creamier than yogurt. I’ve been using it often in my baking, substituting skyr for yogurt or sour cream, and have been very happy with the results.

“A big jug of coffee had just been set in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came – a loud knock.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

I make scones for every possible occasion, and I especially love them around the holidays, as the can be shaped ahead of time and frozen, then pulled out and baked as needed. This panettone version actually comes from my new cookbook, Baking for the Holidays. And while knocks at the door typically don’t result in dragon adventures like Bilbo’s above, I have found them to result in very happy guests when warm scones emerge from the oven.

More Scones Recipes:

• Ginger Chocolate Scones
• Lemon White Chocolate Scones
• Pomegranate Scones

Panettone Scones

Servings: 8 scones

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Inspired by an Italian sweet bread, these soft and tender scones are made with dried fruit and almond paste. Perfect for a holiday breakfast, or a winter baking session.

Sarah Kieffer

5 from 14 votes

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Ingredients

• 1/3 cup [65 g] granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 ¼ cups [320 g] all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup [120 g] Icelandic Skyr or sour cream
• ¼ cup [60 g] heavy cream, plus more for brushing (you can also use ¼ cup [60 g] orange juice instead of the heavy cream for more orange flavor)
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 tablespoons [1 ½ sticks or 170 g] unsalted butter cold, cut into ½ in [12 mm] pieces
• ½ cup [70 g] dried fruit (cherries, apricots, cranberries, pineapple, or candied orange peels are all good options)
• 8 oz [226 g] almond paste

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400F [200C]. Stack two sheet pans on top of each other and line the top sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the sugar and orange zest, rubbing the orange into the sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the Skyr, heavy cream, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Add the butter to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined. Add the dry fruit, gently folding it into the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead four to six times, until it comes together, adding flour as necessary, as the dough will be sticky. Pat the dough gently into a square and roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square (again, dusting with flour as necessary). Fold the dough in thirds, similar to a business letter. Fold the short ends of the dough in thirds again, making a square. Transfer it to a floured sheet pan or plate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. While the dough is chilling, roll the almond paste into a square, roughly 12 in [30.5 cm], using a little flour if needed (see note). Return the dough to the floured surface, roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square, and place the rolled almond paste on top. Fold the dough in thirds. Place the dough seam-side down and gently roll the dough into a 12 by 4 in [30.5 by 10 cm] rectangle. (For a visual on how to fold the scones, see this post.)
• With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough crosswise into four equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Transfer the triangles to the prepared sheet pan. Brush the tops of the triangles with a little heavy cream, making sure it doesn’t drip down the sides, and sprinkle the tops generously with sugar. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops and bottoms are light golden brown. Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the scones cool for 10 minutes before serving. Scones are best eaten the same day they are made.

Notes

*Rolling the almond flour can be a little tricky, I use a tiny bit of flour to help it not to stick to the surface. It may crack a little as you roll – this is okay! It is going to be folded into the dough, so it doesn’t need to be perfect. You just want a very thin piece to lay over the top of the dough. 

*Scones can also be cut into other shapes (squares, circles with a biscuit cutter) instead of making triangles. I find triangles to be the easiest method, and then I don’t have to re-roll the dough. 

*I stack two sheet pans when baking the scones to keep the bottoms from browning too quickly.