Peach & Spelt Scones with Vanilla Orange Blossom Glaze

A Scone for Peak Peach Season

There comes a point every summer when peaches seem to be everywhere—and this is exactly the kind of recipe I want to make with them. These scones are packed with small pieces of fresh peach, with just enough cardamom to bring out their natural floral flavor.

Spelt flour adds a subtle nuttiness without making the scones feel heavy, while plenty of cold butter and cream keep them tender. The finishing touch is an orange blossom and vanilla glaze that gets poured over the scones as soon as they come out of the oven. The heat melts the glaze just enough to create that thin, glossy coating I love on a freshly baked scone.

When choosing peaches, look for fruit that's ripe and flavorful but still firm enough to dice. Save those incredibly soft, dripping-down-your-arm peaches for eating over the sink—they'll add too much moisture to the scone dough.

Ingredients (Makes about 12 scones)

Scones

2¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour

1⅓ cups (170 g) spelt flour

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder

1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda

½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract

1 cup (227 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream

1½ cups (220 g) fresh peaches, cut into ¼-inch dice

Orange Blossom Glaze

2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar

¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon (65 g) heavy cream

1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Pinch of kosher salt

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.

Add the cold, cubed butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mostly broken into small pieces and the mixture looks and feels a bit like coarse, damp sand. You still want to see some small pieces of butter throughout—those help create a tender, flaky scone.

Stir the vanilla into the heavy cream, then pour the cream into the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low just until the dough has almost come together.

Add the diced peaches and mix briefly, just until they're distributed and no dry flour remains. Fresh peaches are delicate, so avoid overmixing or you'll crush the fruit and add unnecessary moisture to the dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently pat it into an even rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 12 rectangular scones.

This is an image I did of a much larger batch, so it is for illustrative purposes only. You will not get this many scones from this size batch.

Arrange the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until completely firm. Once frozen, they can be baked immediately or transferred to a freezer-safe container to bake later.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Arrange the frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between them. Bake straight from frozen for about 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.

While the scones bake, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla paste, orange blossom water, and salt. It may look quite thick at first; keep whisking and it will come together into a smooth, glossy glaze.

As soon as the scones come out of the oven, glaze them immediately while they're piping hot. The heat thins the glaze just enough to flow over the scones and settle into their cracks before setting as they cool.

Storage

Store baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For fresh scones on demand, freeze the shaped, unbaked scones until solid and transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Bake directly from frozen when you're ready to enjoy them.

If you don't bake the entire batch at once, store the extra glaze covered in the refrigerator. Stir well before glazing the next batch.

Baker's Note

Orange blossom water is powerful, so a little goes a long way. The goal isn't for these scones to taste overtly floral. That teaspoon of orange blossom should work quietly in the background, amplifying the floral qualities already present in ripe peaches and cardamom.

Spelt plays a similar supporting role. Its gently nutty, slightly sweet flavor adds depth while still letting the peaches be the star—which is exactly what you want when summer fruit is this good.