Holiday Pear Jam and Butter Scone

Today is my love Michael’s birthday. It doesn’t feel like the holidays until we have celebrated his birthday. So this is a post by me (Francesca) for my true love, Michael, to kick off winter holidays and to give him a delicious breakfast the morning of his birthday.

I have prepared simple butter scones with cinnamon pear jam. What is great about this jam is that it perfectly invokes the holidays, and is a great gift to give people.  Make the jam in advance, have it around, and scones make on a whim. They are amazing!

Ingredients:  serves 8
Butter Scones:

1 ¾ cups flour
4 Tablespoons sugar 
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 
½ Teaspoon salt 
1 stick unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten with 
¼ cup milk

Jam:

4 Bosc Pears
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Start by making the jam. Peel and dice the pears and place in large sauce pan. Using a masher, mash up the pear bits until it is almost like a puree. Turn the heat until medium high, and stir while bringing to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes. Add sugar, stir until dissolved, and reduce heat to low so that you can simmer. Add cinnamon, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

In order to properly jar, follow the canning procedures we have used in earlier jamming posts.

To make the scones, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Dice the butter into small pieces, and chill.

Mix together all of your dry ingredients, but 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Next mix in the butter, coating all the pieces with the flour mix. Using two forks, break the butter up into the flour mix until they are in small pieces, but not until it is completely mixed. You leave some bigger pieces, because in the oven it creates great moisture and flakiness.

In a small bowl mix together eggs and milk. Pout the wet mix into the dry mix, stirring together until just mixed together.

Grease a baking sheet, and place the dough (it will be very wet) on to the middle of the tray and make into a 10” wide disk. Use the last Tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle on dough.

Carefully cut the dough into 8 pieces, leaving them in place. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Recut the pieces and separate ½ and inch away from each other and place back in oven to bake until golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

Let cool slightly and eat!!

I love you Michael!