Spiced Apple Scones: a Dash of Fall Flavors

Scones are delicious. We all know that. Sure they may be a “biscuit that sucks all the spit out of your mouth”… thank you very much Ted Lasso. But they’re so good. And Spiced Apple Scones are some of my favorite.

They appear in many of the northwest European cultures. Most notably in the United Kingdom. However, they are also found in the nordic countries as well. There they are known as Vetescones or basic wheat scones, as seen in one of my favorite Nordic cookbooks, Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson. I believe any culture that appreciates a good tea or coffee break probably appreciates a good scone. It is a great dunking vessel for tea or coffee much like a good shortbread.

These things can be tricky to make though. If you don’t follow one very simple rule. Keep everything as cold as possible before they go into the oven. If you do not do this they will just melt outward into one large mass of who knows what. So keep your butter in the freezer, and your milk and cream measured out in the fridge till you need it.

These delicious spiced apple scones are a favorite in the fall, when the weather starts to cool and I start to crave a cup of tea, I want nothing more than to pair it with a fall spiced apple scone. Fresh apples, fall spices, and a cup of tea just hits the spot in the fall months.

Spiced Apple Scones Recipe:

Start by preheating your oven to 425°F.

Now combine the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and the fall spice blend in a medium-size bowl. After stirring these together, use a cheese grater to shred the cold butter into the dry ingredients. With your hands or a wooden spoon, combine the butter with the dry ingredients. The texture should be crumbly. Do not over mix, especially with your hands as you do not want to the butter to melt too much.  Put in the fridge while you prepare the next ingredients.

Apples and Milk:

I prefer to use gala but any variety will work. Peel the apples and dice them into approximately 1/2-in cubes. Remove the dough mixture from the fridge and add the diced apples. Be sure to coat them thoroughly. Add the milk and cream to the mixture. I used my hands to mix together until there are no lumps in the dough. Again, do not over mix and keep the dough cool.

The shaping

Lightly flour a clean work surface and pour the dough out onto it. Using your hands, yes still with the hands, gently work the dough out to create a 2 to 3 inch thick circle that is 8 inches in diameter. I pat it down to the proper height and then rotate it and shape into a circle. Now transfer it to a baking tray and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

The Bake:

Take your dough out of the freezer and place it on your workstation, where you can cut it. Using a dough cutter, bench scraper, or knife, cut the dough into 8 pieces like a pizza so that you end up with 8 wedges of dough. Line the baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat if you have one. I prefer the silicone baking mat because it is reusable, easy to clean, non-stick, and it helps the bottom of the scone from getting too dark during the bake. Transfer your wedges to it.

Now before putting them into the oven, lightly brush the tops of each one with some heavy cream. Put them into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Finally, remove them from the tray and place onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes. Make some tea or coffee and enjoy these delicious fall spiced apple scones warm from the oven!