Lightly spiced, tender and buttery pear scones speckled with dark chocolate and sprinkled with sugar over top for crunch. Just right with coffee on a winter morning.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, Golden Sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Chop your pear and arrange the chunks on a paper towel to absorb the juices. If your pear is particularly juicy, see the note below the recipe.
Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips (my preferred method) until the mixture resembles wet sand with a few pea-size butter chunks remaining. Fold in the chopped pears and dark chocolate.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until well-combined. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until a dough is formed. There may still be some crumbly bits in the bottom and that's ok - it's more important not to overwork the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch thick disk. With a bench scraper or a very sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges. Arrange the wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, press additional dark chocolate chunks into tops of wedges and sprinkle each with additional Golden Sugar.
If you have time, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This helps keep the butter cold, which will allow the scones to maintain their shape and develop flaky layers when baked.
Bake scones for 18-20 minutes, until they are just beginning to brown and smell delicious. Serve warm with coffee or tea!
Notes
Scones are best the day they're made, but will keep, covered tightly at room temperature for up to a day, and in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.*If your pear is particularly juicy, I would advise roasting the chunks on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until they look dry. Cool completely before adding to the dough. This will prevent excess moisture and spreading.