Citrus Scones + Homemade Candied Grapefruit

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I was born in California, Sacramento, CA to be exact. My sister Sahara was born just shy of two years later. And then we moved back to Albuquerque where my parents had met and married. It had been my dream for a while to move back to California at some point in my life. And here I am, almost three years living in Santa Barbara. When Brian and I first moved here we went on walks everywhere. Just down the bike path next to our apartment is a dead end street lined with kumquat trees, grapefruit trees, orange trees, and avocado trees. The kumquats were the first ripe fruit we went to pick in December, two months after moving. We took a plastic bag and picked to our heart's content. I don't even like kumquats and Brian doesn't either but we were so excited that there was free fruit growing on public fruit trees we just couldn't contain ourselves.A few weeks ago, an amazing person gave me a heavy paper bag filled with freshly picked grapefruits and lemons. The lemons were easy to use up, in lemon bars, salad dressings, sparkling water. But the grapefruit I wanted to do something special with. So I candied the peel! It's way easier than I thought to candy citrus peels. And then I had a whole bunch of candied grapefruit and I thought I'd put them in some scones along with lemon zest and then topped with a lemon and grapefruit juice glaze.

Citrus Scones and Candied Grapefruit

Candied Grapefruit - recipe from Bon Appetit

3 grapefruits, peels removed

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Instructions:

Cut grapefruit peels into thin strips.

Add to a pot of water that covers peels. Bring to a boil. Strain peels, add more water and boil and strain again.

Bring peels, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until peel is translucent. Drain peels. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool and dry.

When dry, toss peels in more sugar and more sugar until well coated.

Scones - recipe adapted from a Flour Bakery recipe on The Kitchen

2 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

zest from 1 lemon

zest from 1/2 grapefruit

1/3 cup of chopped candied grapefruit peel

1 stick cold butter

1/2 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup yogurt

1 egg

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon grapefruit juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugar, and zests and grapefruit peel.

Cut butter into chunks and add to flour. Using pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until mix is crumbly and butter is pea-sized.

Combine milk, yogurt, and egg. Add to flour and butter mixture. Mix with spatula until just combined.

Dump out onto floured countertop. Press flat and cut into circles or slices.

Bake for 15 minutes. When cool, combine all ingredients for glaze and spoon on top of scones.