Coconut Mango Scone Recipe

When it comes to baking, scones are my specialty. I take a lot of pride in coming up with new flavor combinations, then cutting butter into flour to make these perfect little teatime treats. My friends know if they stay the night, there will be fresh scones and a pot of tea in the morning. The best part is that scones come together quickly and can be frozen before baking, then popped into the oven in the morning and served hot.
The technique for making scones may sound complicated, but the truth is scones are fairly simple to make. Once you get the hang of it, you can create your own flavors! It doesn’t take long to end up with a pastry as good as your local cafe's.
My most recent experiment was a coconut mango scone, and it did not disappoint.

The flavor combinations of scones are almost endless and can include fruit, spices, chocolate, cheese, meat, and vegetables. Scones can be classic or a unique twist, vegan, gluten free, savory, or sweet. There are so many possibilities.

Making My Coconut Mango Scone Recipe

Mango and coconut go so well together in these tasty, tropical scones, and they are simple to make. The technique I’m about to teach you can be used to make just about any scone; just change out the flavored ingredients and adjust how much liquid you use. Fresh fruit, for example, will need less additional liquid than dry ingredients, though I have the best luck with frozen or dried fruit. The most important part of making scones is keeping your butter cold. This creates little pockets of air and tender crumbs when the scone is baked.
The first step in making coconut mango scones is to mix together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Then you cut cold butter into the dry ingredients. “Cutting butter” simply means mixing the butter into the dry ingredients until most of the butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces. I find the best way to do this is to dice the butter into chunks before adding it to the dry ingredients, then use a pastry cutter or two forks to press and mix the butter until the right consistency is reached. Sometimes, I need to get my hands in there in the end to break up the final pieces. It’s best to use the tools for as much of it as you can, because you don’t want your body heat to melt the butter.

Next, add in your flavorings. In this recipe, we are using dried mango and sweetened shredded coconut.
Then, in a small, separate bowl, mix together two eggs, your flavor extracts, and cream. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, pour in the egg mixture, and mix together until combined. You may need more heavy cream or flour to get the dough to stick. Elements like the humidity in the air affect how much liquid the flour will absorb. The dough is right when it comes together by squeezing some in your hand.
Scoop half of the dough onto a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat that has been lightly floured. Using your hands, press the dough together until it has formed a flat circle about six inches across. Don’t overwork the dough. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut this circle into eight triangles. Pull the scones apart so there is one inch between them. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Next we are going to rest the scones in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill the dough. This relaxes the gluten in the flour for a more tender scone and allows the butter to get cold and hard again to create those pockets. While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
When the half hour is up, beat one egg and brush onto the top of the scones, then sprinkle liberally with coarse turbinado sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.
If you want to make your scones ahead of time, freeze on a tray before adding the egg wash and sugar, then place in a plastic bag. Scones can be baked directly from the freezer; just add some time in the oven and keep an eye on them around the 20-minute mark.

Mango Tea Time

Scones and tea are a natural pairing. Whether you’re having your mango scone plain, with butter and jam, or as part of a full teatime menu, Plum Deluxe’s Smooth Sailing mango black tea is a perfect match. The white tea and mango in Lavender Daydream would make for a lighter, more delicate sip, perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. If you prefer a caffeine-free drink, Best Friend’s Advice is a comforting and uplifting cup of tea that pairs mango with St. John’s Wort.
The mango pairings don’t need to stop at tea. Try creating an entire menu around mango. Its sweet, tropical flavor can be so versatile, complimenting sweet to savory to spicy. A mango chili pasta salad could serve as your savory dish alongside a thinly sliced mango, cucumber, and cream cheese tea sandwich cut into fourths. Finish off the meal with coconut tapioca with mango or mango with pistachio panna cotta. Use bright-colored tea ware and dishes to serve on a light-colored tablecloth and light a fresh, fruit-scented candle to emphasize the tropical feel of your mango tea party.