Tropical Scones

After tasting my very first scone at Starbucks many years ago, I have since been addicted to the pastries. As such, I have taken it upon myself to create several different variations to the British snack food. While I typically don’t go too off-the-wall with my creations, one day I got up the brilliant idea to add dried pineapple and coconut for a more festive, summery-type of scone. After making them a couple different times and tweaking the recipe slightly each time, I finally came up with a winner.

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 - 3-oz. package vanilla pudding mix (instant or cook and serve)
6 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cups vanilla yogurt
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz. vanilla or ivory baking chips
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup dried pineapple chunks
1/2 cup dried mango pieces, sliced (optional)
1/8 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until well blended. Combine yogurt, juice and cream. Add to flour mixture and stir well. Add the remaining ingredients and knead into the dough with your hands for a couple minutes. Spread the dough onto pastry sheet and mold into a circle. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into triangular shaped wedges (will make about 18 scones). Transfer the scones onto a greased 10-by-15-inch baking pan so they’re not touching. Brush each scone with milk. Bake about 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.