Irish scones are an essential part of an Irish breakfast. If you live on the Emerald Isle, it’s common to have a breakfast with a friend or relative featuring these delicious freshly baked scones along with a hot cup of tea. Here’s our take on an Irish scone, complete with fig and lavender.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen 
• 2 teaspoons dried lavender
• 1 cup dried figs, quartered
• 1 cup heavy cream (approximately)
• 1 large egg
• Optional raw sugar for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Work the flour, sugar, and baking powder together with your hands in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater and add to the flour mixture and combine until mixed – small clumps the size of peas may still exist.  Add salt, lavender, and figs, and gently combine with hands without overmixing.
• Add egg and add approximately a half-cup of heavy cream, watching moisture content. Dough should remain dry and somewhat shaggy. Slowly add any additional cream a tablespoon at a time while lightly working and pressing dough into a mass. Move dough to counter and with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best as possible, adding additional cream if necessary to retain a fairly dry dough.
• Press dough into an 8-inch disc and top with raw sugar if desired. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. Arrange dough on lined baking sheets, with dough wedges facing opposite directions on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 18 – 26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on the top.