This simple adaptation on one of our best-selling mixes creates a fun fall twist in these delicious scones. With minimal sugar and simple, wholesome ingredients, here’s a pastry equally at home on a breakfast plate as it is on a tea platter.
Ingredients:
- Scone & Biscuit Mix
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 small to medium apple, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Cinnamon sugar
- Walnuts or pecans for topping (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cinnamon into dry mix. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. In a separate bowl, stir lemon juice into minced apple pieces, then add to dry ingredients. Slowly add water to dry mix and begin to knead- you may not need quite half a cup. It’s ok if the dough seems very dry at first, keep gently working the dough to bring it together. I find it easiest to just use my hands for this step. Add a few drops of water as needed. Once the dough has come together, carefully knead a few times so everything is thoroughly incorporated. Divide the dough in two halves and shape each half into a disk approximately 5 inches across and 1.5 inches thick. Cut each disk into six wedges, and roll each in cinnamon sugar. Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, press walnut or pecan pieces into the tops of the scones before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until set. Best served fresh, not hot from the oven, but as they cool. Enjoy!
Yield: 12 mini scones.
Scone Secrets
Scones, like biscuits and other shortened delights, have a few little quirks that are worth talking about. They really aren’t very difficult to make, but if you unintentionally do something they don’t like, you may be disappointed and left wondering what went wrong. Here’s two tips to keeping your scones (and any other short pastry) flaky and delectable.
- Cold temperatures matter! The goal here is to keep to the butter in a mostly solid state throughout the mixing process. Then when the scones are baking, all those little butter particles melt and make little steam pockets, which both helps with the rise of the pastry, and creates those flaky layers we so crave. Starting with cold butter, adding cold water, and avoiding delays in getting the dough into the oven all help that along. If you want to mix up the scones but need to wait to bake them until later, just store them the the fridge.
- Avoid overmixing. While some kneading is necessary to pull all the ingredients together into a dough, try not to go to crazy with it. Kneading is partly what develops gluten in the flour proteins, which is great for bread but bad for scones. Only work the dough as necessary.
