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This post is the equivalent of BBQ-ing in the rain, you can do it but it feels like cheating. As I prepare to build my arc to keep the family safe as we head into an endless number of rain days I am dreaming about days of yore. My fun-filled sun days spent in Kauai’i this past year, gazing at the stars and eating criminal amounts of tropical fruits and nuts. And it is in that spirit that I have created Na Hoku (the stars) Scones; with little glimmers of fruits that catch the eye, somehow I am remind of those beautiful island stars. It is a recipe that leaves you wondering if this is a dessert or a breakfast treat. Either way, it is a treat that can be enjoyed island-side or on the mainland.



(Note: Be sure to read over the entire recipe as there are two ingredients lists and two sets of directions.)

Na Hoku Scones (AKA Hawaiian Tropical Fruit & Nut Scones)

Scone Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar, divided in half
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (1-1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (found in Asian section of supermarket in cans)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp coconut extract or 2 TBS guava or pineapple juice
1 cup candied papaya, finely chopped (about 8 strips)
1 cup pineapple, finely chopped (about 5 rings)
1 cup macadam nuts, whole and unsalted

Scone Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In large bowl, mix 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. Mix 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 add 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 and form the dough into a circle approximately 8 inches around and 1-1/2 inches high.

Sprinkle the top with the reserved amount of sugar (or less) and bake in center of oven for 24-30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and 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 30-45 minutes or until scones are not wet in the center and top is slightly browned. Scones are fully cooked when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out dry.

Coconut Glaze

Glaze Ingredients

2 TBS unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

Glaze Directions

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Drizzle over baked scones and allow to dry 10 minutes before serving.

Stay tuned as I plan to tell you more about this fun new website I am working with – www.Foodly.com – where this recipe is also featured. If you haven’t yet seen this site, take a gander, and then imagine a comparative recipe search site (kind of like Kayak but for recipes). Foodly.com is a website that beautifully, smartly, and thoroughly organizes all of the recipes on the Internet, regardless of the source, whether from chefs, recipe sites, or food blogs. Meet Food, I Love You: FoodILY.com