Walnut Fig Scones with Citrus Glaze

Fall is here, whether I'm ready for it or not. I spent the morning going through my children's clothes and pulling out their shorts and t-shirts to make room for the toasty warm sweaters and fleece pajamas that will fill their dresser drawers now. With the gusty winds and brisk temperatures comes the desire for something warm and comforting. Pumpkin...walnuts...figs...come to mind when I think of Fall.

A friend of ours knows that our family likes unusual foods and graciously gave me the inspiration for these breakfast treats. A jar of Dalmatia Fig Spread. I thought, "What kind of neat experiment can I come up with using fig spread? We love it served with scones. Whole wheat toast makes a pretty good accompaniment, too. What would happen if I mixed fig preserves into a scone dough?"  These emerged as a result. I added grated apples, walnuts, and a hint of molasses.  I also incorporated whole wheat flour up the ante on the fiber content. The top has a nice citrus glaze with a bit more fig preserves to really enhance the flavor. 

We had mixed reviews in our home after the initial taste test. Our toddler ate two of them right away. My small group ladies and I enjoyed them, too. Our 6-year-old, however, took one small bite and put the scone aside. I take it fig isn't her favorite flavor. :0) 

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (half white, half wheat or 2 cups white to 1 cup wheat)

1 Tb. baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. allspice

1 cup peeled, grated apple of choice (I used 1 Golden Delicious)

1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts

3 Tb. Fig preserves

6 Tb. Earth Balance margarine

3/4 cup Almond milk

1 Tb. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tb. water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and allspice. Cut margarine into flour mixture until it looks like the consistency of small peas. Make a well in the center. In another small bowl, combine grated apple, walnuts, fig preserves, almond milk, and flax seed-water mixture.  

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir well to combine. If the dough appears to be too soft (like muffin batter), add a bit more flour until it's easy to handle. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times to incorporate flour. Shape into a 8 x 8 square about 1-in. thick and cut into to wedges or squares. Place scones about  3/4-in. apart on a large baking sheet and bake for approximately 16-18 minutes or until toasty golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spooning the citrus glaze over.

Citrus Fig Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 T. fig preserves

1 T. orange juice, or enough until you reach the desired drizzling consistency.

These are really best eaten the same day.