Since I love Apple Pies and Scones, I just had to put the 2 together to make my delicious Apple Pie Scones.
I should really call these the Triple Threat Apple Scones because there is apple flavor in the scone dough and in the icing, and then there’s the apple pie filling surprise in the middle.
But I wasn’t finished. I also love Caramel Apples, so I’ve added my Salted Caramel Sauce* (recipe link below) to the apple pie filling in the center and then I drizzled the top. These are so yummy.
Here is my recipe and photo tutorial. Let’s BAKE!
INGREDIENTS:
SCONES
9 tablespoons butter, divided
1 Gravenstein apple, peeled and coarsely chopped into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon salted caramel sauce*
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
salted caramel sauce, for drizzling*
ICING
1 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. buttermilk
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
*See my recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce under the “Other” category, which will make more than you need for this recipe. But that’s okay, you can use it as a topping for ice cream (yum!).
DIRECTIONS:
APPLE FILLING:
Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Grate 8 Tbsp. butter and put in freezer.
Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a skillet on medium heat, add brown sugar, apple pieces, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 Tbsp. salted caramel sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until apples get slightly al dente. Drain apples, reserving the juices; then set aside apples to cool on a plate, pour reserved juices in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, setting aside 1 teaspoon of the juices for the icing.
SCONES:
Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
Stir in frozen butter. Add buttermilk to reserved juices to make 1 cup . Mix buttermilk mixture into dry-butter ingredients until just together (do not overmix, the dough is very loose).
Set aside the measuring cup of buttermilk, to brush onto the tops of the scones before baking. Place dough on a heavy floured board and pat into a square. Roll out into a 12″ square. Fold into thirds, and then fold into thirds the other direction (you should have a square again). Put on a floured plate and put into the freezer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness, using a round 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut dough into 24 rounds (re-rolling out excess dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cutting into rounds).
Take 1 round, place 2 tsp. apple mixture in the middle and drizzle with about a teaspoon of the salted caramel sauce, place another round on top and pinch the edges until sealed. Repeat until all rounds are filled with the apple mixture, topped with salted caramel sauce. Set aside any juices from the apple mixture that is on the plate for the icing.
Place on parchment covered cookie sheet; using a fork poke some holes on top. Brush tops of scones with the remaining buttermilk in the measuring cup, adding more if needed. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-18 minutes (until golden brown and delicious). Cool completely on cooling rack.
ICING:
Once scones are cooled, whisk together any remaining juices from the apple mixture that was on the plate, 1 Tbsp. buttermilk, 1 Tbsp room temp butter, and 1 cup sifted powdered sugar (adding powdered sugar slowly). If icing is too thick, add more buttermilk or salted caramel sauce. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Frost or drizzle on tops of scones.
Serve and enjoy!
*SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE RECIPE LINK
