Pineapple Upside-Down Scones

These Pineapple Upside-Down Scones are for everyone out there that loves a sweet treat first thing in the morning. Although, this time you actually have a valid excuse to indulge yourself. They’re decadent enough to be made for dessert, of course, but are still quite simple to be served for a brunch or light breakfast. I took the classic old-fashioned cake that everyone loves, and turned it into your new favorite way to scone. All of our mornings will never be the same, including mine, and something tells me that we’ll be making them over and over again…or is that just me?

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide the melted butter among each of the six cavities of a large muffin pan. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Make sure to use a “jumbo muffin” pan so that the pineapple ring will fit in. I used these pans from Amazon!

**Tip: I’m using light brown sugar for this because that’s what I had on hand, but if you like a deeper, more golden caramelized look to your upside-down scones, you can use dark brown sugar as well!**

Press a pineapple slice into each and then place a cherry in the center, and set pan aside.

**Tip: To prevent excess moisture in the topping and the scones themselves, you’ll want to make sure to drain the canned pineapple very well and then pat the slices with a paper towel!**

Let’s turn our attention to the scones. This is my go-to basic scone recipe that I make all the time with currants, but I omit the currants for this recipe. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Add the cold diced unsalted butter to the dry ingredients, and rub with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.

**Tip: As with biscuits, you want to work rather fast so as to keep the butter cold. Cold butter means flakier scones that rise higher. The butter can vary in sizes, but should roughly be the size of peas. If you don’t want to use your hands, you can also use the two knives method of cutting it in, or a pastry blender!**

In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk (with the tablespoon) and the egg. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the wet ingredients.

Gently stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to form a shaggy dough. Dump out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead about 2 times or so, quickly, to bring it together.

**Tip: Again, you want to work rather fast so as to not warm up the butter in the dough too much. And at this stage you also don’t want to over-work the dough because the scones will end up being tough and dry and won’t rise as much!**

Roll out to 3/4 to an inch in thickness and cut with a 4-inch round cutter. Place a scone on top of each pineapple slice in the prepared pan. Bring the scraps of dough together and re-roll once more to cut out the remaining scones as needed. You just need six scones in total. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are golden brown, and the scones have puffed up, about 18 to 20 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning and cooking!

Remove from the oven and run a small offset spatula or knife along the edges of each scone. Place a baking sheet over the pan and immediately flip over to invert the scones out while they’re still warm.

**Tip: It is very important to invert the pan right away while the scones are still warm so that they come out nicely from the muffin pan. If you wait too long the sugar at the bottom will harden and the pineapple will stick to the pan!**

Serve the scones warm with your favorite jam, butter or cream on the side! I like to serve them with pineapple preserves to really bring out that pineapple flavor from the scones!

If you plan on making these ahead of time for a brunch or party, you can assemble them up to the part where you make the scones and lay them into the pan. Then just cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. On the day you plan on baking them, you can take the pan out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature while the oven preheats and then just bake as directed!

Give these scones a try the next time you’re hosting a brunch or breakfast with your family or friends. They could also double as a dessert if you serve them with fresh whipped cream! Either way, they’re a great treat morning, noon or night. 

Pineapple Upside-Down Scones

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

18 mins

Total time

33 mins

 

These Pineapple Upside-Down Scones are the perfect decadent breakfast or a delicious dessert. They're easy to make, but are a definite crowd-pleaser.

Author: The Candid Appetite

Serves: 6 scones

Ingredients

Topping:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 6 slices canned pineapple, drained
• 6 maraschino cherries

Scones:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• ½ cup pineapple preserves, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide the melted butter among each of the six cavities of a large muffin pan. Sprinkle each with a tablespoon of brown sugar and press a pineapple slice into each. Place a cherry in the center, and set pan aside.
2. To make the scones, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.
3. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk (with the tablespoon) and the egg. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together to form a shaggy dough. Dump out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead about 2 times or so, quickly, to bring it together. Roll out to ¾-inch in thickness and cut with a 4-inch round cutter. Place a scone on top of each pineapple slice in the prepared pan. Bring the scraps of dough together and reroll once more to cut out the remaining scones as needed.
4. Bake until golden brown and the scones have puffed up, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a small offset spatula or knife along the edges of each scone. Place a baking sheet over the pan and immediately flip over to invert the scones out while they're still warm. Serve warm with jam or butter on the side. Enjoy!

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