Since childhood, my favorite pie has always been an Apple Pie. I remember going over to my great-grandmother’s house where we would pick her Transparent Apples that she would make the most delicious apple pies with.
Since I was a teenager, my favorite apple for baking for pies and crisps are Gravenstein Apples, because they have a delicous combination of sweet and tart. For this recipe I call for a Gravenstein apple, but you can you use whatever apple is your favorite, or whatever is available.
My Apple Pie Scones have a surprise apple pie filling in the center of the scones, apple pie flavor in the dough and in the icing. Then I’ve added a salted caramel sauce drizzle inside and on top.
Let’s BAKE!
INGREDIENTS:
SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE FILLING
1 Gravenstein apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon salted caramel sauce
SCONE DOUGH
8 tablespoons butter, cold
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
ICING
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
salted caramel sauce, for drizzling tops
DIRECTIONS:
SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE FILLING: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a 10-inch skillet on medium heat, add diced apples, brown sugar, 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 apples aside in a small bow to cool. Set aside reserved juices in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup.
SCONES: Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Grate 8 Tbsp. butter; put in freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in frozen butter. Add buttermilk to reserved juices to make 1 cup, pour into dry ingredients, mixing until just together, set aside whatever buttermilk is remaining in the measuring cup (do not overmix, the dough is very loose). 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.
Remove dough from freezer, roll into 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, until all dough is used up). Take 1 round, place 2 tsp. apple mixture in the middle and drizzle with a little salted caramel sauce, place another round on top and pinch the edges until sealed, place on parchment covered baking sheet; use a fork to poke some holes on top. Repeat until all rounds are filled with the apple mixture and salted caramel sauce. Set aside any juices from the apple mixture that is in the bowl. Using remaining buttermilk in the measuring cup, adding more if needed. brush tops of scones. Bake at 400-degrees F. for 15-18 minutes (until golden brown and delicious). Remove scones with parchment onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
ICING: Once scones are cooled, whisk together any remaining juices from the apple mixture, that was set aside in the bowl, with 1 Tbsp. buttermilk, 1 Tbsp. room temperature butter, and 1 cup sifted powdered sugar. If icing is too thick, add more buttermilk or salted caramel sauce. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Frost tops of scones. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy!
*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!).
Serve and enjoy!
