Although scones are predominantly consumed by the British, they were originally 17invented by the Scottish. Scones have received a bad reputation in North America, probably because Americans have only tried tasteless and dry scones. I believe if they come to Britain and have a taste of a real and rich scone, they’d be convinced that these pastries are truly delicious.

What is a scone?

Scones are delicious light pieces of pastries made with a high proportion of raising agents and a small portion of butter. Scones are baked with scone pans in a moderately hot oven. These delicious pastries are best served during breakfast but are also great with tea or coffee at any time of the day. Apple scones are not too sweet but are mouth watery and are great with tea.

What is wonderful about this flavor?

This flavor has a terrific aroma and taste. Buttermilk makes these pastries fluffy and fresh apples keep them moist. Add them to your kid’s lunchbox to give them a sweet treat.

Ingredients

Ingredient	US measure	Metric measure
All-purpose flour	2 ¾ cups	326 grams
Baking powder	2 teaspoons	2 teaspoons
Baking soda	0.5 teaspoon	0.5 teaspoon
Chilled butter	½ cups (8 tablespoons)	113 grams
Milk	2 teaspoons	2 teaspoons
Sugar	2 teaspoons	2 teaspoons
Apple	One medium, peeled and diced
Salt	Pinch
Milk (for topping)	To taste but not too much
Ground cinnamon	To taste

Directions

1. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor or a large bowl. Rub in butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add diced apple and pour in milk. Stir continuously to until it becomes a soft dough.
2. Add some flour to your kneading table and turn out the dough on it. Knead gently for about 8-10 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 15cm (6-inch) diameter. Place on a greased non-stick baking pan (use 1tbs butter for the greasing). Brush the top with milk and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.  Score each into 6 or 8 wedges with the aid of a sharp knife.
3. Put in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for about 20 to 25 minutes until they become brown and risen.

Cooking Cautions:

Do not over mix the dough. Instead of being light and flaky, scones become tough and chewy when the dough is over-mixed. Use a light hand and gently knead the dough until the mixture comes together. 

Cooking Tips for scones

Always use cold butter.

Servings

Apple scones are best to serve hot and are great with tea. It also goes well with orange marmalade, whipped cream or honey.

How to store in the freezer?

If stored properly, they can stay up to 3 months in the fridge. Use Clingfilm and tin foil to wrap scones and store in the freezer.

How to thaw and reheat?

If you want to heat apple scone, all you have to do is remove the Clingfilm or tin foil and allow it to defrost at room temperature. Heat the pastries in a moderately hot oven if you wish to serve them warm.