With a bounty (15 lbs!) of beautiful Texas grapefruit, Grapefruit Scones were one of the first things on my list to tackle after we replaced our broken oven. I wanted a simple cream scone, studded with grapefruit, that wasn’t to sweet and not too terrible for my waistline.

I started with the Basic Cream Scone from Cook’s Illustrated. And then I kind of hit it with a wrecking ball.

What usually makes a scone so melt-in-your-mouth tender is fat, usually from butter and cream. I don’t know about you, but those are two of my favorite food groups 🙂 I knocked out 75% of the heavy cream and replaced it with fat-free greek yogurt and grapefruit juice, two items that would keep the batter thick and flavorful. In addition to flavor, the small chunks of cold butter also contribute to lift and texture so I increased the baking powder after reducing the butter just a bit.

The upside: You still get that crumbly scone goodness, with significantly less fat.

The downside: Without all the extra fat to keep them moist, they don’t keep as long (2-3 days vs 4-5+)

I added a generous dose of chopped grapefruit and zest, and just a little extra sugar to help offset the bitterness from the fruit (my husband required a drizzle of honey at breakfast to make his even sweeter). And there’s no mistaking that each bite belongs to a grapefruit scone 🙂

Print

Grapefruit Scones

Slightly sweet, tender scones studded with grapefruit.

Ingredients

• 1 ruby red grapefruit
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces or grated
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp fat-free Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp coarse sugar, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Zest half the fruit to get 1 Tbsp (unpacked) zest.
3. Cut the tops and bottoms of the grapefruit off.
4. Remove the peel and pith with a knife and cut the grapefruit segments from the membranes over a bowl to catch the juice.
5. Cut each segment into 2-3 pieces and set a side.
6. Squeeze the leftover membranes into the bowl. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the grapefruit juice and discard the rest.
7. Pulse the sugar, zest, flour, baking powder, and salt a few times in a food processor.
8. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas.
9. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
10. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 Tbsp grapefruit juice, heavy cream, and yogurt.
11. Add the yogurt mixture and grapefruit segments to the dry ingredients, stirring until most of the dry ingredients are incorporated
12. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle 1-inch thick.
13. Cut in quarters and cut each rectangle diagonally.
14. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
15. Top with sugar and bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
16. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
17. Store for a couple of days in an airtight container. Warm for 10-12 seconds in the microwave before serving.

Notes

Yields: 8 servings

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated's Cream Scones

Estimated time: 45 minutes

Nutritional Information
Calories: 238.5 | Fat: 8.5g | Fiber 1.3g | Protein 5.2g | Carbs 34.9
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6