Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Scones

I can't usually go a weekend without baking something, and this weekend was no exception. The weather has finally cooled down a bit in Phoenix, I woke up to temperatures in the 70s! So this morning I decided to incorporate one of my favorite flavors of fall, cinnamon apples, into scones. I remember eagerly watching my mom prepare scones when I was growing up, but I never really paid close enough attention to make them myself. When I first tried making scones myself a few years ago, I realized they are quite easy to prepare and take relatively little time to bake. And scones are like biscuits in that you can easily transform them from a morning pastry to a savory side dish, simply by changing up the mix-ins to your batter.

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple

1 tbsp brown sugar

Cinnamon

1 tbsp butter

2 cups flour

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small sauce pan, melt 1 tbsp butter. 

3. Dice apple into small chunks, about the width of your thumb. (You want them large enough to maintain a slight crunch after baking the scones)

4. Add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter. Stir so that apples are fully coated. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.

6. Cut in butter, until flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

7. In a small bowl, beat eggs and whisk in buttermilk, milk and cinnamon apples. 

8. Add all at once to flour mixture, and stir with a fork until batter is just moistened. 

9. Turn out dough onto a flour surface and form into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut dough into triangles.

10. Arrange scones on a lined baking sheet so they are not touching.

11. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.  

Makes 16 small or 8 large scones