Apple Ginger Scones
Scones always satisfy the “I need something buttery and cakey…NOW!” feeling I’ll occasionally get...
I’ve always been an apple lover. Macintosh will always be my favorite, that quintessential shiny red slightly tart juicy beauty. There are many debates about which apples work best for baking; Macs can either be used by themselves or in combination with other apples such as Pink Ladies or Honeycrisps. Some argue that Macs on their own can add moisture to a baked good, sometimes too much moisture. I’m still Team Macs regardless! It’s my go-to for baking AND eating, and I certainly use them in my scones.
I’ve made scones with ginger before, and I do love to use crystalized ginger. I love to infuse the whipping cream with freshly-grated ginger; it infuses the scones with a subtle – yet – omnipresent warmth. When using the crystalized ginger, you’ll get some spicy bites of ginger but it’s not incorporated into the scone as a whole. Both methods work but for this particular recipe, I’d rather infuse the ginger flavor throughout.
These scones are a wonderful autumn treat, for breakfast or dessert! Or, if you’re living that #workfromhome life like I am, I might eat four for lunch. I would never judge!
This recipe makes 8 scones.
APPLE GINGER SCONES
Ingredients:
1 large Macintosh apple, peeled and cored
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (I’ve used both white sugar and coconut sugar successfully)
3 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons chilled butter, shredded on box grater or cubed (see Before We Get Started…)
1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup heavy cream
Before We Get Started:
A trick I learned from my father for incorporating butter into a pastry dough is to chill or freeze your stick of butter ahead of time, then use a box grater to grate it into the flour. It makes cutting in the butter substantially easier! Grate it like you would cheese, it’s that simple.
Feel free to switch up and use your favorite apple here, I’m just sold on Macs!
Directions:
1.) After peeling and coring apple, divide into four even sections. Dice up three of the sections for the scone dough and set aside; thinly slice the remaining section into eight slices to place on top of the scones and set aside.
2.) Preheat oven to 400°F; line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3.) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to insure that the butter is mixed into the flour; it should take on a sandy consistency. Stir in apples and mix.
4.) In a small bowl, add grated ginger and cinnamon into heavy cream and mix thoroughly. Stir into dry ingredients and combined until moistened. Inside of the bowl, use your hands to knead the dough until thoroughly combined and it holds it shape; this should take approximately one minute.
5.) Turn dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet and form into the shape of a circle with your hands, roughly 8″ in diameter and 1″ thick. Cut circle into eight even-sized wedges. Spread wedges apart on baking sheet. Gently press an apple slice on top of each scone. Sprinkle with additional sugar for texture, if desired.
6.) Place scones in oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly browned; for a moister scone, stick to closer to 20 – 22 minutes.
7.) Remove from oven and move to a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Scones will store at room temperature in an air-right container for up to 2 days.