Grapefruit White Chocolate Scones
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Scones studded with white chocolate chunks, topped with fresh grapefruit segments and a coarse sugar sprinkle. Accompanied by a tart white chocolate grapefruit spread that sets in the fridge. Uses grapefruit zest and juice in dough and spread. Butter shredded then frozen for flaky texture. Mix dry ingredients, fold in cold butter quickly. Dough shaped, cut, brushed with cream, crowned with grapefruit supremes. Baked until golden, best served warm with chilled spread. Spread keeps refrigerated for a week. Scones keep a day airtight. No nuts or eggs. Vegetarian friendly.
Prep:
50 min
Cook:
28 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#scones
#baking
#citrus
#white chocolate
#breakfast
#vegetarian
Butter grated and frozen. White chocolate chunks in the flour mix. Grapefruit zest strewn through cream. Citrus juice mixed in for tang. Sharp bites awaited. Spread thickens after chill. Top scones with juicy supremes. Sugar crystals sparkle where cream brushed. Baked til golden, broken apart, slather with tangy chocolate concoction. Fruity bits hit with sweet smoothness. Scones dense but tender. Bittersweet grapefruit tames the white chocolate’s sweetness. Cold spread melts on warm bread. Keep spread sealed in fridge for days. Scones best fresh, day after lose some crisp. No eggs keeps them easy for all. No nuts for less fuss. Simple flavors but with twists. Work quick with butter. Dough demands gentle hands. Wonder in every bite. Bright citrus with creamy sweet chunks.
Ingredients
Spread
- 160 g (6 oz) white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 grapefruit, finely zested
- 75 ml (5 tbsp) grapefruit juice
Scones
- 90 g (3/8 cup) unsalted butter, very cold
- 220 ml (7/8 cup) 35% cream, plus extra for brushing
- 90 ml (6 tbsp) grapefruit juice
- 250 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 130 g (5 oz) white chocolate, chopped coarsely
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) sugar
- 25 ml (5 tsp) baking powder
- 1.5 ml (1/3 tsp) salt
- 8 grapefruit supremes
- Coarse sugar or demerara for topping
About the ingredients
Butter very cold makes flaky scones. Instead of rubbing butter into flour, grate it frozen for quick mixing and flaky texture. White chocolate adds pockets of sweetness but keep chunks big for bursts. Grapefruit zest and juice permeate both dough and spread to maintain balance. Use demerara or coarse sugar on top for crunch and slight bitterness to counter sweetness. Substitute the grapefruit juice with a mix of lemon and orange for a citrus twist or swap white chocolate for blond chocolate for milder taste. Always measure flour properly; too much dries dough. Keep dough handling minimal to avoid toughness. Extra cream for brushing gives golden finish. Grapefruit supremes fresh and thin, not pithy. Store spread cool and airtight to prevent drying out or flavor loss.
Method
Spread
- 1. Place chopped white chocolate in a bowl.
- 2. Heat grapefruit zest and juice in a small saucepan just to simmer.
- 3. Pour hot liquid over chocolate. Wait 3 minutes WITHOUT stirring.
- 4. Whisk gently to blend until spread thickens and smooths.
- 5. Transfer to airtight container. Refrigerate minimum 2.5 hours, or until spread firm.
- 6. Keep refrigerated up to 7 days.
Scones
- 7. Adjust oven rack to upper third, preheat to 205°C (400°F). Line baking sheet with silicone or parchment.
- 8. Grate cold butter directly onto lined sheet. Freeze while prepping rest.
- 9. Mix cream, grapefruit zest, and juice in a bowl. Let sit 4 minutes to infuse.
- 10. In large bowl, whisk flour, white chocolate, sugar, baking powder, salt.
- 11. Roughly crumble frozen butter into flour mix, stirring quickly to combine without melting.
- 12. Pour infused cream mixture into the dry ingredients. Using wooden spoon, stir just enough to moisten.
- 13. Finish mixing dough by hand, gentle and quick. Avoid overworking.
- 14. On floured surface, shape dough into 22 cm (9 in) disk. Cut into 8 wedges.
- 15. Place wedges spaced apart on prepared baking sheet.
- 16. Brush tops with extra cream generously.
- 17. Press one grapefruit supreme onto each wedge center.
- 18. Sprinkle coarse sugar over scones liberally.
- 19. Bake 23-25 minutes until golden brown and firm.
- 20. Cool briefly before serving with chilled white chocolate grapefruit spread.
- 21. Scones best same day but keep well 1 day in airtight container.
Cooking tips
Start with spread since cooling times are long. Let hot citrus infuse chocolate then rest without stirring to avoid breaking texture. Whisk only at end until thick and even. Refrigerate until spread firms. For scones, freezing butter grated keeps chunks intact for a tender crumb. Mix dry first, scatter butter, mix fast so butter stays solid. Add citrus-infused cream for moisture and tang. Stir softly with wooden spoon, then hands, but stop as soon as flour is wet. Shape dough into thick disk, cut carefully. Don’t overcrowd baking sheet; scones need space to rise. Brush tops with cream to promote browning and stickiness for sugar. Press grapefruit supremes gently to hold in place. Generous sugar crystals create crunchy top. Bake just over 20 minutes until golden and slightly firm outside but soft inside. Cool briefly, serve warm with spread on side or slathered. Keep scones in airtight container only one day; they stale quickly. Spread lasts longer refrigerated sealed.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter cold, grated frozen not rubbed in. Keeps chunks intact so heat in oven gives flaky layers. Grate quickly, freeze right away. Avoid melting butter. Cold is key. Use coarse texture butter grating or microplane.
- 💡 Mix dry first: flour, sugar, baking powder salt, white chocolate chunks. Scatter frozen grated butter fast. Don’t over-stir. Butter must stay solid. If turns greasy melt, dough toughens. Work in small bursts, toss quickly.
- 💡 Cream infused by sitting with zest and juice before mixing. Let citrus flavor steep at least 4 minutes. Adds natural tang without washing out white chocolate sweetness. Infused cream also moistens dough perfectly.
- 💡 Cut dough gently to wedges, like a disk 9 inches across. Overworking toughens dough. Shape carefully on floured surface. Space wedges apart on tray for rise. Brush tops with cream then press fresh grapefruit segments firmly but gently.
- 💡 Use coarse or demerara sugar on top for textural contrast. Sugar adds crunch and subtle bitterness cutting creamy sweetness. Sugar crystals melt into sticky glaze with heat, creates sparkle surface. Sprinkle generously but avoid clumps.
Common questions
How to keep scones flaky?
Butter cold grated frozen. No rubbing butter. Mix fast. Keep chunks cold. Oven heat melts butter fast makes layers flaky. Overwork dough = dense. Work quick.
Can I substitute grapefruit juice?
Yes swap for lemon and orange mix. Keep total juice volume same. Different citrus changes tartness balance. White chocolate key to sweetness. Adjust sugar if needed.
Why scones get tough sometimes?
Usually too much handling. Over stirring or kneading. Butter melted in dough also culprit. Cold ingredients and minimum mixing keep tender crumb. Use sharp cutters, no twisting cuts.
How long do spread and scones last?
Spread stays fridge sealed up to 7 days. Scones best same day. Store airtight max 24 hours. Staling starts fast, dry out in container. Freeze scones if needed, thaw before serving.
