Apple Cheddar Scones
Can’t get enough of the combination of apples and cheese this fall? I totally feel you, I can’t either.
Thank goodness for these scones!!!
I honestly didn’t know how I would feel about these scones. I’m not really a fan of savory scones, I prefer slightly sweetened scones with fruit flavors. However, once upon a time, there was this amazing little grilled apple and cheese sandwich that showed me that apples and cheese CAN live happily ever after… so why not apple cheddar scones?
Apples are roasted and chopped first before they’re added to a pretty ordinary scone batter. But once a generous amount of extra sharp cheddar is mixed in, the fairy tale is complete. The apples are sweet and tender, and the cheese melts into the batter to bake up as a delightfully cheese-y biscuit. It was perfect for a lazy fall Sunday morning, however I quickly learned having a barely sweet and slightly savory scone tricks my tastebuds into thinking that I hadn’t actually eaten any breakfast, so I should definitely have another scone. And repeat.
highly recommended: these scones with tomato soup. it’s like having a grilled cheese.. but different.
Apple Cheddar Scones
from Smitten Kitchen, via The Perfect Finish
makes 6 generous scones (i made 8 less generous ones)
2 firm tart apples (1 pound or 2 454 grams), peeled, cored, and chopped into sixteenths (chunks)
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces or 195 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling (total of 2.2 ounces or 63 grams)
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams) plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams)unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended, I assume for aesthetics)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
2 large eggs
- Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place apple chunks in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge.) Leave oven on.
- Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Because of some tragic circumstances, I have no hand mixer, so did this by hand: I cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until the mixture resembled wet sand with pea-sized chunks. I hand chopped the apples coarsely and mixed everything together until combined.
- Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 (or 8) wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
- Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Cranberry Orange Scones
I’d like to introduce you to my new best friend.
We got to know each other at one of my favorite spots, Crate&Barrel. I was like, hey, i like scones. And he was all, then let’s go make some!
I am a total sucker for scones, pies, biscuits… basically anything with a high butter to flour ratio. The only catch is that these recipes require “cutting butter into flour” to achieve flaky, buttery, tender goodness. This can usually be achieved in 3 ways: 1) two knives or forks plus some arm power, 2) food processor, or 3) pastry blender. Since I am not the most coordinated of the flock, the two utensils method is not even a viable option. And sadly enough, the prospect of 4 additional dishes to wash from the food processor (bowl, blade, cover, and thingy that goes into the cover) is enough to discourage me from baking! I have also seen an America’s Test Kitchen recipe where they suggested grating frozen butter on a cheese grater, then mixing the little bits into the flour. I thought this was pretty ingenious; but on those days when you just want scones NOW (or like, in 20 minutes), this method is not so helpful. However, a pastry blender integrates all the best of these methods: easy to use and easy on the arms, minimal clean-up, (almost) instant gratification.
So I saw that pastry blender in the store and ran home with it in order to bake these.
Cranberry Orange Scones
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Baking Illustrated
2 cups flour
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 tbs. cold butter, diced into 1/4” cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
orange zest from 1 orange
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Preheat oven 425 degrees
1. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter into the dry ingredients until the texture is sandy, with bits of butter still visible.
3. Combine eggs, buttermilk, and orange zest in a separate bowl. Whisk gently to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry, reserving a few tablespoons to brush on top of the scones. Add cranberries. Mix with a spatula until the dough just comes together.
5. Transfer dough and all the dry bits to a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until the dough all comes together. Pat dough into a circle, about 1 inch thick, 8-9” inches in diameter. Using a knife, cut into 8 wedges.
6. Place the wedges on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the wedges with reserved egg/buttermilk mixture and sprinkle on raw sugar. Bake for about 18-22 minutes, until tops are golden.
These are the best the day of (as most baked goods are) because they have a crunchy exterior and tender, slightly cake-y crumb. But for those of us who don’t have time to bake scones before we go to work, I bake them the night before and in the morning, I just pop them in the toaster oven to get them crisp again.
Enjoy with a warm cup of tea or coffee. This is my favorite way to start a morning.
