Coconut, Papaya & Pineapple Scones

Deliciously moist and light, these beautiful jewel-toned scones have bright colored bits of candied papaya & pineapple, scattered throughout to add a burst of color and sweetness that perfectly complements the coconut.
The inspiration for this recipe was Stacy Garwood's winning recipe in Food Network Magazine's Secret Ingredient contest. I read it and copied it down while visiting my mom for the Christmas holiday & knew that her recipe for Coconut Scones With Coconut Glaze sounded so delicious I had to try it.

When we returned home I realized I didn't have any pecans & didn't think the plain coconut could stand alone. I began thinking tropical flavors for substitutes & then decided on cutting up candied papaya & candied pineapple rings in place of the nuts. The result is beautiful! Despite the amount of coconut items in this recipe, the final product doesn't have an overpowering coconut flavor. Even my coconut-hating husband loved them! The fruit used can be dried or candied but the candied isn't too sweet for this recipe & can easily be found in the bulk section of the supermarket.
I did make the full recipe but wanted the triangle shaped scones I prefer instead of round. Since I only had enough candied fruit to make up for half the nuts, I divided the batter in half. For the second half I stirred in some chocolate chips, divided the batter again and made half round and tested the other half in my new brownie pan.
So for me, the original recipe made 10 round scones, 8 triangle scones & 12 square scones in the Perfect Brownie Pan. I had coconut scones coming out my ears! LOL I've since re-crafted the original recipe, cutting it in half to suit my circumstances and preferences. I hope you give them a try!

Coconut, Papaya & Pineapple Scones

Scones:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar, divided in half
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (1-1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (found in Asian section of supermarket in cans)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup candied papaya, finely chopped (about 4 strips)
1/2 cup candied pineapple, finely chopped (about 2 rings)

Glaze:
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, HALF the sugar (1/8 cup) and coconut.
With pastry blender or hand mixer, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. In small bowl, whisk the eggs slightly then add in the coconut milk and the coconut extract. Whisk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir just until combined and then stir in the candied fruits. The dough will be wet and lumpy. Scrape the dough out onto the center of the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using a spoon or spatula, pat & form the dough into a circle about 8 inches around & 1-1/2 inches high. (Doesn't have to be precise.) Sprinkle the top with the reserved amount of sugar (or less) and bake in center of oven for 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven & use pizza cutter or large knife to gently cut the circle into 8 wedges (like a pizza). Return pan to oven & bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until scones are not wet in the center & are slightly browned.