If you like piña coladas...
As I continue daydreaming of Hawaii, I thought I’d bring to life one of the recipes I was inspired to make while we were at the Pearl Harbor gift shop: pineapple scones. But these have a twist: basil.
Pineapple and basil work surprisingly well together. I think they’re the new “it” couple of Summer 2022 since they’re splashed on the cover of last month’s Food Network Magazine. Very fresh and reminiscent of a piña colada, pineapple basil scones make perfect sense. These scones also feature coconut flakes, lime zest, and of course, a rum glaze. So if you like piña coladas, try this recipe.
Unique ingredients
There’s a meme of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, that chides her for specifying overly exotic ingredients in her recipes. “If you don’t have butter salted with the tears of German milkmaids, store bought is fine.”
I mostly laugh at this, but as I buy foods to stock my pantry, I have to admit I have my fair share of fancy ingredients. This recipe is no exception!
- Pastry flour. Yes, you can use all purpose flour, too. But pastry flour is more delicate and light. It’s ideal for scones.
- Candied pineapple. I’ve never used fresh pineapple on these, but I imagine they’d turn out soggy. I wouldn’t recommend it. You can find candied pineapple in the produce section of the grocery store by the nuts.
- Coconut chips. I buy unsweetened coconut flakes from Trader Joe’s. I like the texture better than shredded, but either work.
- Fresh basil. Not dried! Thai basil works, too! It gives it a licorice-y flavor.
- Lime and coconut extract. Lime and coconut make pineapple and basil a fun double date. I use McCormick’s. If you don’t have these extracts, vanilla extract is fine!
Yes, they freeze well
This recipe yields 14 scones, and I don’t know about you, but that’s a lot for me to eat within the shelf life of a batch of scones. I will typically freeze half the batch, glaze and all, in a Ziplock gallon freezer bag. When I’m ready to dig into them, I pull however many I need out to thaw for 10 minutes before serving them. They taste exactly the same as fresh!
Spotlight Brunch Item
These scones were, as Bob Ross might say, a happy little accident I made while dabbling in the kitchen. And it turns out they were a huge hit among my friends. They are so simple to make because they are drop scones, which means you plop them straight on the baking sheet, so there’s no need to flour up your clean counter. And they’re so fresh and delicious. I serve them with Trader Joe’s pineapple spread.
I hope they make it to your breakfast table!
Like this? Try these.
Pineapple Basil Drop Scones
Ingredients
Pineapple Basil Scones
- 1 stick Butter Cubed into 1/4" pieces
- 3 cups Pastry flour All purpose is fine, too
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2/3 cup Candied pineapple chopped into 1/4" pieces
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened coconut flakes Trader Joe's brand
- 1/2 cup Fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 cup Sour cream
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 Egg
- Zest Lime
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 tsp if not using lime and coconut extracts
- 1/4 tsp Coconut extract optional
- 1/4 tsp Lime extract optional
Lime Rum Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Rum
- Juice of one lime about 1-2 tbsp
Instructions
Pineapple Basil Scones
- Toss butter and flour together in a mixing bowl, squishing it with your hands to create a fine crumble. You can also use a pastry cutter.
- When butter is coated in flour and pea-size, add in sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
- Add in candied pineapple, coconut, and basil, mixing with your hands until homogenous.
- In a separate bowl whisk together sour cream, milk, egg, lime zest, and extracts. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined. Batter should be sticky but thick enough to hold its shape.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop, drop scone batter onto the pan, 7 per pan.
- Place the scone-lined pans in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. While they chill, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the sheets one at a time, for 20-22 minutes, rotating half way through baking.
- While they are baking, prepare the glaze. Allow the scones to cool completely before glazing them.
Lime Rum Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lime juice, and rum.
- Pour into an icing bag or quart-sized Ziplock and snip the tip to glaze the cooled scones.