Apple Butter Scones
This makes three posts in a row with apples featuring as a main ingredient, and I'm not even sorry! It's November, so my desserts are pretty much all either apple or pumpkin at this point – aside from the leftover Halloween candy, of course.
I've had some canned apple butter sitting in my fridge for quite some time now, and I've kept waiting until the perfect time to open it. Today, though, I was craving a baked treat and wanted something different, and that jar in my fridge became the inspiration for a new recipe!
Since apple butter is packed with flavor, including spices, this recipe doesn't need much else in the way of add-ins. It's really just the apple butter and some diced apple pieces to flavor the dough, and a cinnamon glaze to top the scones. Apple butter is essentially a really concentrated spiced apple puree, so a little bit goes a long way. But what really puts these over the top is the glaze, so I recommend you don't skip it – it's the cherry on top!
APPLE BUTTER SCONES
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 16-18 minutes
Makes 12 small scones
Ingredients
2¾ cups flour 1 T baking powder 8 T salted butter, cold/frozen ⅓ cup sugar ½ cup milk
½ cup apple butter
½ cup small-diced apple pieces
Optional add-ins: chopped walnuts, chopped pecans
Glaze:
1 T milk
5-6 T powdered sugar
½ t cinnamon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare a board with flour, and grease a large cookie sheet. If you haven't already prepared your fruit, dice your apple.
Grate your cold or frozen butter to ensure it's in small pieces, which will make it easier to incorporate into the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder (note: that's a tablespoon of baking powder, not a teaspoon!). Then add the grated butter, and stir until combined. Stir in the sugar, milk, apple butter, and apple pieces, mixing until the dough is as thoroughly combined as possible. (If you decide to use nuts, stir those in here as well!) The dough should be really thick, but if you're having too much trouble getting it all to come together, add a small splash of milk. Then remove the dough from the bowl, place it on your floured board, and knead for a minute, ensuring that the dough has all come together.
Separate the dough into two even halves. Place each half on either end of the large greased cookie sheet, and flatten into two circles about 1½ inches thick. Cut each circle into six wedges, and separate them slightly, with about ½ - 1 inch in between each wedge. Place in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops and edges are golden brown.
When the scones are cool, prepare the glaze, and pour it over each scone. Let it harden before serving to avoid sticky fingers!
Happy Eating,
Natalie