These Cardamom Persimmon Pecan Scones are fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, crunchy from the pecans and flavored with warm cinnamon and cardamom. They are perfect with coffee in the morning or a cup of tea in the afternoon.
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My aunt has a persimmon tree and I look forward to getting homegrown persimmons every year. This year, I managed to save a few and let them ripen to a pulp just so I can make these cardamom persimmon pecan scones.
What you’ll need
The ingredients for these persimmon pecan scones are not so different from a regular buttermilk scone recipe except we’ll be using the persimmon pulp as the liquid instead of buttermilk.
➤ You will need very ripe persimmons. The persimmons should be very soft so that you can peel off the skin and mash it easily with a fork. If your persimmons are not ripe enough to mash, you could puree it in a food processor or blender. But the more ripe it is the more fragrant.
How to make persimmon pecan scones
Making the scone dough
- Add flour, baking powder, spices, salt and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
- Toss in the cold cubed butter.
- Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until all the butter pieces are flat.
- Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Beat together the egg, persimmon pulp, vanilla, and add it to the dry ingredients.
- Fold until a shaggy dough forms.
Shaping the scones
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board or countertop, and pat the dough out into a rectangle about ½” thick. Don’t worry too much about making it a perfect rectangle.
- Fold the dough over itself using a bench scraper to help you scrape the dough off the countertop if any part of it is sticking.
- Pat it out into a rectangle one more time.
- Fold it over itself again. Do this 2 – 3 times to create flaky layers.
- Finally, shape the dough into a circle about 1” thick.
- Cut into 8 portions. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze.
Baking the scones
- Brush the top and sides of the scones with cream.
- Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar and bake until golden brown.
Notes on the original recipe
I have modified this persimmon scone recipe from the original by using the persimmon pulp directly in the scone dough and adding pecans for crunch. In the original recipe, I chopped up the persimmons, ones that are still firm, and folded the pieces into the scones dough.
If you prefer to have pieces of persimmons in your scones, you’ll want to use ripe but firm fruits. You can toss the chopped persimmons into the flour mixture along with the pecans. You’ll need to use about ⅔ cup of buttermilk or cream as the liquid in place of the persimmon pulp.
The method for making these scones with whole persimmons will be similar to these strawberry scones or these almond scones. There are process photos on both these recipes to help you visualize.
Baker’s Tips
- I used freshly ground cardamom from the pods in this recipe and only needed ¼ teaspoon. But you may need to double that if you are using ground cardamom from a jar for stronger scent.
- Toast the pecans and let it cool before making the scones to bring out more flavor from the nuts.
- Folding over the scone dough will help create flaky layers, but don’t overdo it because overworking the dough could make the scones dry.
- Freezing the scones before baking will help them keep their shape and rise taller.
Storage
These persimmon pecan scones can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 – 5 days. If you make them with whole persimmons, they will be better kept in the refrigerator due to the whole fruit pieces.
You can freeze these scones for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5 – 7 minutes. You can also reheat them directly from frozen in the oven at 300°F for about 15 minutes.
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Cardamom Persimmon Pecan Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour (270 g)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (light or dark brown, 67 g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (13 g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (notes)
- 4 oz unsalted butter (cold & cubed, 113 g)
- ½ cup pecans (toasted & roughly chopped, 58 g)
- ¾ cup persimmon pulp (from about 1 ½ persimmons, 195 g)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream (for wash)
- 1 – 2 teaspoon turbinado sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom into a large mixing bowl, add kosher salt and brown sugar, whisk to combine.
- Add cold cubed butter to the flour mixture, work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until all the butter pieces are flat. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Add egg, persimmon pulp and vanilla extract to a small bowl, whisk to combine. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Fold with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board or countertop, and pat the dough out into a rectangle about ½” thick. Fold the dough over itself and pat it out again, do this 2 – 3 times. Then shape the dough into a circle about 1” thick. Cut into 8 portions.
- Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
- When the oven is ready, brush the top and sides of the scones with cream, and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 – 10 minutes before transferring the scones to the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I used freshly ground cardamom from the pods in this recipe and only needed ¼ teaspoon. But you may need to double that if you are using ground cardamom from a jar for stronger scent.
- Toast the pecans and let it cool before making the scones to bring out more flavor from the nuts.
- Folding over the scone dough will help create flaky layers, but don’t overdo it because overworking the dough could make the scones dry.
- Freezing the scones before baking will help them keep their shape and rise taller.
- If you want to make the scones with whole persimmon pieces in the dough, see notes within the post for modifications.
Nutrition
Originally published on 1/5/2015. Post updated and republished on 1/5/2021 with modifications to the recipe to enhance flavor and baking method, as well as more tips and process photos.
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I love the addition of cardamom in these and I love the abundance of persimmon in each scone.