The perfect scones for fall, these light and tender treats are filled with fresh apple and cranberry. They're finished with a cinnamon glaze for a beautiful look and excellent flavor.
1stick(4 ounces) unsalted buttercold and cut into cubes
¾cuppeeled, chopped apple(¼-inch pieces–about ½ an apple)
½cupfresh or frozen cranberries
½cupbuttermilk, heavy cream, or milkplus more for brushing on top
1large eggbeaten
Glaze:
½cupconfectioners’ sugar
1 ½teaspoonsground cinnamon
1 ½tablespoonsmilk or buttermilk
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and work the butter into the flour mixture, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse pea or dime-size crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the mixture or the butter will soften too much and the resulting scones will not be flaky.
Add the apples, and cranberries and toss well. Mix together the buttermilk and beaten egg and then add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined, kneading lightly (but don’t overwork it).
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a ¾-to-1-inch thick circle. Don’t overwork the dough, as you want the butter inside to stay as cold as possible until the scones head into the oven.
Use a bench/dough scraper or knife to cut 6 wedges (like a pizza) from each round. Flip each cut scone over and place upside down on the parchment lined baking sheet (the bottoms are flatter and will look prettier as the tops of the scones), spacing a couple inches apart. At this point, the scones can be refrigerated or even frozen and baked later. Frozen scones can be baked from a frozen state; just add a little extra baking time, as needed.
Lightly brush on top of the scones (but not the sides) with a little buttermilk or cream. Bake scones on the center rack of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool on the pan while you prepare the glaze.
Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add a sprinkle more confectioners’ sugar. Too thick, add a drizzle of milk.
When scones are cool, drizzle the glaze over the tops. Allow the glaze to set briefly and then serve the scones at room temperature. These scones are best the day they are made, otherwise the moisture in the fruit will begin to soften the scones and glaze.
Notes
Cut each round into 8 pieces instead of 6 to yield 16 smaller scones.
These scones freeze beautifully. By freezing these scones, it actually helps prevent the apple from oxidizing, which is why they should be either baked immediately or frozen and then baked.