Mango Pistachio Scones

I’m not generally a huge fan of fruit in baked goods, but diced fresh mango works well in these scones, adding a pop of tart flavour to the rich dough. I chose to pair pistachios with the mango, inspired by the delicious mango kulfi I’ve had in Indian restaurants. Cardamom is also used in kulfi and other Indian desserts, so I added it for a little bit of spice. You can adapt these mango pistachio scones by using other complementary flavours you have on hand–a little dried coconut, or the icing from my coconut scones instead of the mango icing in this recipe.

Related Post: Scones Primer

Print Recipe

Mango Pistachio Scones

A hint of cardamom finishes these tasty scones that feature bright mango and crunchy pistachios.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Cool & Icing Time20 minutes mins

Total Time47 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snacks

Keyword: Mango, Pistachio, Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cup fresh mango, diced
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, diced, plus more for garnish
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
• 1/4 cup 35% cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed

Icing

• 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tbsp mango juice, unsweetened
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom, or more or less to taste
• chopped pistachios Optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (See Notes, below.)
• Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together to incorporate.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, cream, and extract. Set aside. 
• Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is about pea-sized. The dough will have the texture of crumbs. (See Notes, below.)
• Add wet ingredients and chopped mango and pistachio to the flour and butter mixture, then stir until just combined. 
• Gently knead the dough into a ball in the bowl, then turn out and begin patting into a circle until it’s about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick. You may need to squeeze the outer edges a bit to incorporate crumbly bits into the dough.
• Cut the dough into 8 evenly sized wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with 35% cream if desired. (This gives a nice sheen to the finished scones.)
• Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden.
• Let scones cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, then move them to a wire rack. Place the parchment from the baking pan under the wire rack to catch drips when you ice the scones. 
• After the scones have cooled for about 10-15 minutes, make the icing by whisking together all of the icing ingredients. Start with ½ cup icing sugar; only add more icing sugar if the icing is too thin. (See Notes, below.) Drizzle or spread on warm scones, and top with chopped pistachios. Let the scones cool completely. 

Notes

• Ovens can vary widely in temperature. For this recipe, I set my oven to 395F and bake for about 11 minutes. Watch your scones carefully the first time you make this recipe to ensure they don’t bake too long.
• The cutting process can take a few minutes but you want to be able to see pieces of butter in the dough, so don’t go too long with this step. 
• The thickness of the icing is a personal preference. You can drizzle thinner icings in a nice pattern across all the scones or spread thicker icings across the top.

All About Pistachios

I may not always love fruit in baked goods, but I do love chopped nuts in the batter and as a garnish. They are a delicious way to add fibre and other nutrients to cookies, scones, cakes, brownies, and whatever other sweets you might like. Pistachios are technically a seed, and they have many of the same health benefits as other seeds and nuts:

• According to research cited by Women’s Health, pistachios are a complete protein, which means they contain all nine amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own. This is good news for vegans, since they can get the same protein hit as an egg from one serving of pistachios.
• Along with protein, pistachios are also high in unsaturated fat and fibre. That combination of fat, protein, and fibre gives them a satisfying taste but also makes them more filling than other crunchy snacks like pretzels or crackers. And among nuts, pistachios have the lowest calorie count, so you can fill up on them without worry.
• WebMD recommends buying pistachios in their shells. Having to extricate them from their shells slows down your eating, so there is less chance of overdoing it. Excess salt will negate the health benefits of pistachios, so make sure you buy the unsalted variety.
• Other research cited by Women’s Health suggests that daily pistachio consumption may lower blood pressure. Their high antioxidant content is another health benefit that, in tandem with other healthy lifestyle choices, may lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
• Prevention Magazine notes that a serving of pistachios is 28 g (1 oz), or about 49 of these little green gems. Individual mango pistachio scones will not provide a full serving–and they do come with a lot of extra calories–but you can always add more to this recipe or, better yet, nosh on pistachios while you wait for the scones to bake.
• Pistachios are not just for snacks or desserts. Try adding them to salads, pilafs, hot cereal, or a bowl of yogurt and fruit. Or look for recipes for pistachio-crusted fish or chicken, or pistachio stuffing. Here a couple of links with recipe ideas. I haven’t tried any of these recipes yet but a lof of them sound really good. California Grown has 20 recipes including a Green Goddess Salad that sounds amazing. And Bon Appetit has 48 recipes “for any occasion”.

Sketch of pistachios: 114899581 © Rawpixelimages | Dreamstime.com