I don’t know who is more of a sucker for a tourist trap. Me or my husband. We were driving down to Southern California recently and we just had to stop at Casa de Fruita. If you are driving down to LA from San Francisco, you will pass by it.  You can’t miss it if  you tried. We actually have passed by here a million times on our way to Los Angeles before but never stopped.

I swear, there is something about getting older and the direct correlation of being sucked into a tourist trap. Am I right? This time, “The Husband” just had to stop. Joking aside, it’s actually quite an impressive place. They have just about every dried fruit known to man. It’s kind of a dizzy experience. It’s hot, you’re thirsty, and they have cold drinks,  and oh yeah; TONS OF FRUIT. They know just what the heck they are doing. The multiple signs beckoning  you each 1/4 of a mile.

Classic marketing ploy, but effective. You try to think of a reason NOT TO STOP. 

You are in the parking lot faster than you can say alien abduction. 

Dried kiwi, check. Dried apricot, check. Dried figs, check. Dried pineapple, oh yeah…check. Before you know it, you have spent a quick 20 bucks.

I keep dried pineapple in our house so when the urge strikes me; I can whip up these scones. They are my go to scone recipe when I’m in the mood for scones. I actually have to hide the dried pineapple from my husband because he will polish it off before I even realize I am out of it. Casa de Fruita had dried pineapple already in small cube  form, so I could not pass it up. I bought a big bag of it. One less step of chopping to do when making scones. I’m sucked in immediately.

Oh yeah, I hid it in the cupboard the minute we got home….

Orange Pineapple Scones

2 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch salt

1 stick unsalted butter; cubed

1 large orange; zested * (or  1  1/2 Tbsp. zest)

1/2 C chopped dried pineapple

1/4 C chopped candied orange peel * (if you can’t find candied orange peel; simply double the orange zest to 2 oranges) or you could add in chopped dried apricots also in place of the orange peel.

1 heaping Cup;  vanilla lowfat yogurt (you can substitute buttermilk if you don’t have yogurt)

1 Lg. egg

1 tsp. orange extract

1-2 Tbsp. cream or half-n-half for brushing top of scones.

In a medium bowl; whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cut up the butter in small cubes and add it to the flour mixture and blend by hand with a pastry blender; mix in the butter until all of the butter is mixed in but resembles the size of small peas.  Add in the dried fruit and with a spoon; mix to combine.

In a separate bowl; whisk the yogurt, egg, orange extract and orange zest.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients; mix gently to combine but don’t over mix.

Turn out the dough onto a floured board and pat the dough into a square that is 3/4 – 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal portions. Brush the top of the scones with half-n-half or cream.

Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Happy Baking!

Suzie

Printable Recipe:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dq_Sndb2B45Zx64iRIPyIB45AEDk1BQ19xeWpim35Wo/edit?hl=en_US