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    Home » baked goods » biscuits and scones » Feeling Blue: Pear-Walnut Scones

    Feeling Blue: Pear-Walnut Scones

    May 12, 2017 · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dairy Farmers of Canada.

    I’ve often said that I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like, but that wasn’t always the case… in fact, there was a long period in my life when the only use I had for blue cheese was as a dip for my buffalo wings. It was simply too sharp, too pungent, too overwhelming for my brie-loving palate.

    Pear and Walnut Scones

    Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case for quite some time, so I very much enjoyed this month’s pick from the Dairy Farmers of Canada, a lovely blue cheese called Dragon’s Breath from That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm in Nova Scotia.

    Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese

    Dragon’s Breath a soft and creamy blue cheese, which arrives as a softball-sized nugget coated with dark blue wax. To serve it, you slice away the top of the wax to reveal the cheese inside, which makes it a strikingly beautiful addition to any cheese board.

    Flavour-wise, this one is very much up my alley… I’m still learning to love some of the crumblier, sharper blues, but this one is very much a crowd-pleasing blue, with a mild creamy flavour.

    Tray of Scones

    Don’t get me wrong, it’s still got a that unmistakable blue cheese funk, but it’s tempered with a mellow creaminess and a soft spreadable consistency that’s perfect for smearing on a hunk of crusty bread.

    It’s that spreadable texture that got me thinking of pairing the Dragon’s Breath with these flaky two-bite scones that are flavoured with a combination of dried pear and walnuts - two classic pairings for blue cheese.

    Pear and Walnut Scones

    To show off the sweetness of the dried pears and the sharpness of the blue cheese, I deliberately kept the scones on the savoury side by using as little sugar as I could get away with, and adding a little whole wheat flour to give them a heartier texture than a traditional white flour scone.

    The end result is a batch of dainty little scones that are equal parts sophisticated and old-fashioned, kind of like the cheese that inspired them.

    Pear and Walnut Scones

    Paired together with some fresh fruit or your favourite jam, this duo of cheese and scones makes for a rather elegant twist on the usual Mother’s Day tea, especially if your mom doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

    Oh, and if mom isn’t a fan of blue cheese, these scones are pretty amazing with a milder cheese. Try a gooey soft-rind cheese like brie, or a sharper, nuttier cheese like aged gouda. Or just go the traditional route and slather them with clotted cream, which is pretty awesome too.

    //

    Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep the Crumb Test Kitchen running! All opinions, as always, are entirely my own.

    //

    Print
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    Mini Pear and Walnut Scones

    Mini Pear and Walnut Scones


    • Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)
    • Total Time: 40 mins
    • Yield: 24 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These adorable little scones are packed full of chunks of dried pear and walnut, making them the perfect partners for a mild, creamy blue cheese like Dragon's Breath.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
    • ¾ cup chopped dried pears
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 5 tbsp heavy cream, divided

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    3. Stir in the dried pears and walnuts, then add the buttermilk and ¼ cup cream, and gently mix until the dough just barely comes together. (If the dough looks too dry, add more cream, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough starts to come together.)
    4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour, and gently knead 5-6 times to finish incorporating any floury bits. Roll out the dough to 1" thick, and cut out the scones using a 1" round cutter, gathering up the scraps and re-rolling until you have 24 scones.
    5. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them ½" apart. Brush the tops with remaining 1 tbsp cream.
    6. Bake scones in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 30 mins
    • Category: Brunch
    • Method: Baked
    • Cuisine: Canadian

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      May 31, 2017 at 6:06 pm

      Thank you for being honest! I LOVE cheese but blue has always been down on the list for me. But this Dragon's Breath... SOOOO good! I love the flavours you have here and I'm going to send this recipe to my friend because she is a way better baker than me and I deserve to be spoiled ;)

      Reply
    2. The Food Hunter says

      May 15, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      Pinning I will be making this soon

      Reply
    3. Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says

      May 14, 2017 at 10:30 pm

      These scones sound like a perfect pairing for a creamy cheese with a bit of "funk" going on.

      Reply
    4. Jennifer Farley says

      May 13, 2017 at 9:35 am

      What a fantastic name for a cheese! Blue is one of my favorites. These scones sound spectacular!

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        May 22, 2017 at 10:06 am

        Right? I have a soft spot for cheeses with fun names. :)

        Reply
    5. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says

      May 13, 2017 at 8:25 am

      Walnuts, pears and blue cheese is a classic combination - these look like a great addition to any cheese board or brunch table!

      Reply
    6. Jessica @Savory Experiments says

      May 12, 2017 at 5:44 pm

      I never think to make scones. These look delightful!

      Reply
    7. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 12, 2017 at 4:10 pm

      Those sound sooooo delicious, I want some now!!

      Reply
    8. Shareba says

      May 12, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      I haven't found a blue cheese that I really like yet, but this one looks tempting... I like that it's mild in flavour. It might be a good place for me to start in my blue cheese adventures! I love the colour of the wax! You're right, it would look really cool on a cheese board. I'll have to keep an eye out for this cheese next time I'm shopping!

      Reply
    9. Colleen Kennedy says

      May 12, 2017 at 1:39 pm

      To date I need to mask Blue cheese. Guess I am like you were. My husband and sister are bonkers for it in any form. I'm a huge bread lover, so I am thinking these biscuits I would totally be into. A great addition to a brunch!

      Reply
    10. [email protected] says

      May 12, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      I adore a good, soft, mild blue. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the more crumbly and powerful blues too, but these ones are certainly a little easier to work with. The scone sounds absolutely BRILLIANT. I love that you took it in a more savoury direction, and the walnuts and pears are amazing (two of my favourite flavours to partner with blue cheese as a matter of fact). Well done! Can't wait to see what the next cheese brings!

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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