SCONES WITH PEARS, IRISH CHEDDAR, AND HONEY

Scones with Pears, Irish Cheddar, and Honey image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup currants
1 cup buttermilk, plus more as needed and for brushing
Cored and sliced ripe pears, such as Red Anjou, Comice, Red Bartlett, or Seckel, for serving
Sliced cheddar, preferably Irish, for serving
Honey, for drizzling

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a large bowl to combine. Add butter to bowl and, working with a few pieces at a time, scoop some butter and flour mixture into your hands. Squeeze butter, pressing thumbs across your fingertips to flatten into petal shapes. Repeat until all butter is flattened and coated with flour mixture.
Add caraway seeds and currants to bowl, tossing to combine. Slowly add 1 cup buttermilk, stirring constantly with a fork, just until mixture begins to form clumps. Add more buttermilk if necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time, until no dry flour mixture remains in bowl.
Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly dust hands with flour and gather mixture into a ball, gently squeezing to form a dough (it may still crumble slightly).
Flatten dough to a 1-inch thickness and fold in half. Flatten and fold once more. Gently shape into a 1-inch-thick, 7-inch-diameter round. Cut into 8 equal wedges, then separate wedges 1/2 inch apart. Brush tops with buttermilk; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake scones until puffed, golden brown on top, and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottoms, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. To serve, split scones, sandwich pear and cheddar slices, and drizzle with honey.