Dark Chocolate Chunk Persimmon Scones with Olive Oil.
Starting off the new year by eating carbs and watching the Twilight Zone marathon all day long. And not changing out of pajamas.
These persimmon scones can be made in just over an hour. Perfect baking project for a lazy day spent on the sofa watching tv or movies.
I used to not like scones. I think because I had never had a good scone. They were always very dry. Then I had some from a bougie bakery and my mind completely changed.
Amazing how we can make up our minds about something after only trying once or having a bad experience then not wanting to try again to see if maybe that was just a fluke. I am glad I gave scones a second chance.
Since that time I have made scones a few times at home. I have had the idea for these persimmon scones rolling around in my head for a few years. Persimmon season comes and goes in a flash and
I usually eat a few pounds of persimmons either like an apple or sliced into salads. I will also slice some over oatmeal. I prefer Fuyu persimmons to Hachiya. Especially in baked goods.
I love using olive oil in baked goods in place of butter and I know that scones get their flaky goodness from butter but I wanted to take a risk and use olive oil instead. And I am glad I did. These still have the same amazing texture typical of scones and the olive oil makes for a moist but still flaky scone.
Persimmons sometimes have a subtle cinnamon flavor to them so I enhanced that flavor with the addition of cinnamon in the dough as well as some nutmeg and cardamom. These all really complement each other nicely.
Of course chocolate chunks need to be added. I had gotten a chocolate chunk scone from a bakery in San Diego a few years ago that was so good that I based these scones off of those. A few recipe tests later and I came up with this recipe.
Tips for Persimmon Scone success:
- Use ripe but still firm Fuyu persimmons. You don't want Hachiya persimmons for this recipe. Those are the more heart shaped ones that need to be squishy when ripe. They won't work for these scones
- This dough is made very quickly, don't even need a mixer for them. A whisk, spatula or spoon works as well as your hands. A one bowl recipe
- Freezing is your friend for making sure these keep their shape. Once you have the dough mixed with the persimmon and chocolate chunks added in, you shape the dough into a 7 to 8 inch disc on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 20 or so minutes. This makes it easier to cut into wedges
- Once you cut the dough into wedges you freeze again while your oven preheats
- These get an egg wash then a generous sprinkling of turbinado, or raw, sugar.
- Baked for 20 minutes at 400 deg F until set and turning golden. Cool then serve. Thats it!
"Recipe"
Dark Chocolate Chunk Persimmon Scones with Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup flour 10.25 oz
- ¼ cup brown sugar 2 oz
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup olive oil 4 oz/120 ml
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 3 persimmons diced ( Just over 2 cups save 2 cups for the scones, and extra can be pressed into tops before baking
- 1 cup chocolate chunks plus a few extra for pressing into top of scones before baking
Egg wash:
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon water
Topping:
- ¼ cup turbinado raw/Coarse sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 Deg. Set out a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt in a large bowl
- In a separate bowl mix oil, egg, vanilla and cream. Add this to flour mix and mix until starting to combine. Add in the chopped persimmon and chocolate chunks. Mix until it comes together. You might have to use your hands for this.
- Scoop out dough onto a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly floured. Pat dough to a 7-8 inch round thick disc. Transfer on the paper to a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Cut disc into 8 wedges and place the wedges a few inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Press a few persimmon pieces and dark chocolate chunks into the tops of the scones. Chill for another 20 minutes.
- Chilling or freezing the dough between shaping into a disc then again after cutting into wedges makes it easier to handle them before being baked and helps keep their shape when baking.
- Make egg wash by whisking together the egg, cream and water then brush tops of the scones with it. Generously sprinkle scones with coarse sugar.
- Bake scones for 20 minutes or until set and starting to turn golden. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly then serve. Best eaten same day as baked. Can be frozen and reheated slightly after thawing if eating at a later date.
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