Italian plums are most commonly associated with their dried counterpart prunes, but they are great for baking thanks to a concentrated sweetness and easy-to-remove pit. Prepare for some magic as these scones bake—the yellow-fleshed plums turn a hot fuchsia. For more plummy recipes, find our July/August issue!
Italian Plum-and-Parmesan Scones
Makes 8
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (71 grams) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2½ cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground black pepper
- ½ cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1¼ cups (219 grams) finely chopped Italian plums
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (120 grams) whole buttermilk
- 1 large egg (50 grams), well beaten
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons (63 grams) honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate cheese.
- In a large bowl, stir together cheese, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Fold plums into cheese mixture. Add cream and buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather mixture together, and gently knead into a ball.
- Turn out dough onto prepared pan, and pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges; gently separate wedges about ½ inch apart. Brush with egg. Sprinkle with additional cheese and pepper, if desired.
- Bake until golden and centers are firm, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together softened butter and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve scones warm with butter mixture.
Hello, planning to try this recipe. It sounds delicious. Unfortunately, I am have a bit of trouble finding ITALIAN Plums at any local grocery or specialty markets. Are regular plums a workable substitute for the Italian. If so, are there other adjustments I would have to make as a result THANKS
Robert,
Thanks for reaching out! If you cannot find Italian Plums, regular plums are a great alternative. We recommend still using 1¼ cups (219 grams) finely chopped plums for the recipe. It will be a tad bit different than using the Italian Plums but should still be delicious!
Happy Baking!
I made these yesterday as I am a huge fan of Italian “prune” plums and love to bake with them during their short season. These were delicious! I followed the recipe almost exactly but didn’t have heavy cream so I subbed with mascarpone of equal weight. I had to bake them for closer to 30 minutes, covering them with brown paper during the last five minutes. They were probably a little more moist than the ones pictured, but were absolutely divine. A wonderful Sunday morning brunch treat. I might even add more plums the next time. So happy I just happened to see this in my Bake magazines from the past year.