Ingredients:

Filling:
3/4 C. (4 ounces) dried apricots
2 T. honey
2 2-inch strips lemon peel, no pith
1 T. lemon juice

Dough:
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 C. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 C. buttermilk or plain yogurt

Methods:

Finely chop the apricots and put into a small saucepan with remaining filling ingredients.Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer 10 minutes over low heat until apricots are very soft.Discard lemon peel. Mash apricots with the back of a spoon to a coarse, thick puree.

While the filling cooks, mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.

Scrape sides of bowl; reduce speed to low.Add flour mixture; beat only until blended. Scrape sides; add buttermilk and mix only until blended.

Remove bowl from the machine.Fold apricot puree into the batter with a rubber spatula just until the puree is swirled through.

Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet,placing the mounds about 2 inches apart. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes (or freeze and, when hard, remove to a plastic bag and freeze for up to 6 weeks).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover scones and bake 15 minutes.Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake 10 to 13 minutes longer, or until pale golden brown.Cool,uncovered, on a wire rack.