Apple Buttermilk Scones

Sigh! my photos are traveling, lost somewhere in the blogosphere, so here's a placeholder; a post with a not-so-wonderful scone from Tim Hortons. Updates to come whenever I track down those pesky traveling photos.

It's HOT outside, the air conditioner has been going full blast... and I'm baking scones?! What's up with that? Typically we don't love scones, often finding them too dry and crumbly, not as tasty as sweet or savory drop biscuits. But the second week of August is unofficially International Scone Week, a tradition begun by Celia in 2011 (link), now hosted by Tandy at Lavender and Lime, and I couldn't resist an early morning bake. Good decision, since this small batch of Apple Buttermilk Scones was a winner.

The scones sported a toothsome crispy crust and a meltingly tender interior, more reminiscent of an apple cake or quickbread rather than my (obviously incorrect) memories of dry, disappointing scones. While the glaze was a tasty addition, it wasn't necessary... especially since RL added butter and jam to each split half. Half-batch baking provided breakfast and a shared snack later in the morning, with no pesky leftover scones to dry out on counters or fridge. Thanks, Tandy, for nudging me into baking this delicious taste treat.

The base recipe came from Jen at bakedbyanintrovert, click here for her original full-batch recipe. Below is my slightly adjusted, half-batch version for #ISW2018.

Apple Buttermilk Scones

yields 4 fat scones

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Apple Pie Spice
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk powder
• 1/4 cup chilled or frozen butter, grated
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh apple, unpeeled 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

For the glaze (optional)

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons apple juice

Directions 

1. Whisk or sift the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Apple Pie Spice and buttermilk powder together. Add the chilled, grated butter into the flour mix and combine using your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. 
2. Gently fold in the apples. Whisk the vanilla and the milk together and gradually add half of it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. Add more milk as needed. a little at a time until the mixture is moist but not too wet. Do not over mix the dough. Place the bowl of dough in the freezer while you place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 F.
3. When the oven reaches 400 F, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough four or five times. Pat the dough into a square and cut from corner to corner into four triangles.  Arrange the scones 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. 
4. Lightly brush the top of each scone with heavy cream. Sprinkle lightly with vanilla sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and drizzle with glaze. 

   
   

   Optional Glaze: Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl; whisk or stir in apple juice in small amounts until desired consistency. 

   
   

   Note: One scone is very filling so next time I will use the half-batch recipe to create 8 smaller scones.(and then eat 2 of them, no doubt).

Buttermilk Skillet Scones with Cheese & Peppers

Savory scones are an occasional store-bought indulgence, a secret sneaked treat when I'm at the co-op, or the local bakery, or some Farmers' Markets. Somehow these flaky, veggie-filled triangles of delight have never come out of my oven, not until today. I woke up craving scones, jalapeno scones in particular, scones loaded with cheese and chunks of multicolored peppers. It's easy to find sweet scones, some okay and others meh!, but really good savory scones take a little searching. I wanted them now, right now, without waiting to shower and get dressed to drive around town hunting for those savory treats.

No problemo. The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook supplied a basic recipe that accommodated savory peppers and cheese as add-ins. Who knew? This book has traveled on the boat for years but was rarely used, so last Fall I moved it from the galley afloat to the kitchen ashore. Good move, since it thwarted any recipe panic this morning, 

The scones were wonderful served warm for breakfast, split in half and barely coated with a slick of butter. RL topped his halves with orange marmalade and ginger preserves, preferring to add a sweet note to the savory. Cooled and nibbled without butter or jam, a scone was the perfect lunch accompaniment to a bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Now I'm considering splitting one more scone, adding a slice of cheese and popping it into the microwave for a late-night snack. Sigh, my will power disappears when freshly baked scones are available, and that's the reason they should remain a store-bought indulgence. You I can't eat just one.

Buttermilk Cheese Scones with Peppers & Onions 

Recipe adapted from The Cast Iron Skillet by Kramis & Kramis-Hearne

Makes 12 scones

2 1/3 cups unbleached AP flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups chilled butter (1 ½ sticks), cut into 6 to 8 pieces
1/4 cup jalapeno, small dice
1/4 cup green onions, small dice
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, small dice
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + lemon juice to curdle)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and stir briefly to mix. 
3. Add the butter pieces and mix at low speed until just combined. (Low speed is recommended to avoid a cloud of flour billowing out of the bowl – ask me how I know this detail.) 
4. Add the jalapeno, green onions, red peppers and cheese to the bowl. Run the mixer at low speed and pour in the buttermilk. Again, mix at low speed until just combined. 
5. Divide the dough into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll one dough ball into a circle, roughly ¾-inch thick. Cut the circle into 6 equal-sized wedges. Place the wedges in a buttered cast-iron skillet, spaced apart and forming a circle. 
6. Repeat with the second ball of dough. 
7. Place on a rack in the center of the oven and bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes in my oven. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or cool on a baking rack and reheat later in the day. 

Note: the use of a stand mixer is purely optional, you can mix the scones with a hand-held mixer (or by hand if you put a little muscle into incorporating the butter)