Apricot Thyme Scones

I was looking through a cookbook from the Ovenly bakery in Brooklyn called Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York's Most Creative Bakery. One thing I love is that they offer several basic recipes with ideas for flavor variations. The basic scone recipe had both sweet and savory options, but the one that caught my eye was the apricot-thyme version. It said I could use either fresh or dried apricots, and since it is apricot season I used fresh (and used less liquid than the recipe called for, knowing how wet the fresh fruit would make the batter.)

Apricot Thyme Scones

 8 tbsp (4 oz) chilled, unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup diced apricots, fresh or dried*
2 tsp fresh thyme, pulled off stems
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Cut the butter into cubes.** Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, quickly cut or blend the cold butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
4. Using a large fork or wooden spoon, mix apricots and thyme into the flour-butter mixture.
5. Stir the cream into the flour-butter mixture with a large wooden spoon or a fork until the dough begins to come together. The flour should not be fully incorporated into the dough; do not overmix.
6. Transfer the dough and any loose floury bits to a floured countertop or pastry mat.
7. Quickly knead the dough until it comes fully together, and then flatten it with the palms of your hands into a 3/4 inch thick mound. Fold the dough in half, give it a quarter turn and then flatten it again. Repeat this process 3 more times.***
8. Shape the dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 8 even triangles. Place the triangles on an ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up for shape. Just before baking, brush with cream and top with turbinado just before baking (if desired.)
10. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the scone comes out clean.

Jenny's notes:
* If using fresh apricots decrease cream. Start by only using a cup a see where you are.
** Ovenly directions say freeze before using but I just do this straight out of the fridge and into the dry ingredients and it works out fine.
*** The worst thing to me is an overworked scone so I did not do this much mixing/kneading. I used my hands to mix and gather the dough, and formed drop scones for this batch rather than the triangles. I'm also not bothering with freezing the dough ten minutes, but I'm also not working it as much as they do.