Description
These glazed apple scones are a delightful treat combining tender baked apples with cozy fall spices, lightly sweetened and topped with a smooth cinnamon glaze. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, they offer a wholesome twist on a classic scone with the use of whole wheat flour and diced Granny Smith apples.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chilled butter (cold, cut into small pieces)
- 2 cups diced apples (peeled, Granny Smith recommended)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 tbsp cold fat free milk (plus up to 1/2 tbsp more if needed)
- cooking spray (for baking sheet)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it ready for baking the scones.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cold buttermilk, unsweetened apple sauce, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and egg until fully combined.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Spray a baking sheet generously with cooking spray to prevent the scones from sticking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until evenly blended.
- Cut in Butter: Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add Apples: Fold the diced peeled apples into the flour and butter mixture carefully to distribute them evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until the dough becomes moist and starts to come together. Avoid overmixing.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly about four times using floured hands to bring the dough together.
- Shape and Cut: Pat the dough into a 9-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick on the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 equal wedges, slicing all the way through.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool: Remove the scones from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool for about 10 minutes.
- Prepare Glaze: While the scones are cooling, mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg with 2 tablespoons of cold fat-free milk. Add up to an additional 1/2 tablespoon milk as needed, stirring until smooth and the desired glaze consistency is reached.
- Glaze Scones: Place cooled scones on parchment or wax paper. Drizzle the glaze over the scones using a spoon or dip the tops of the scones into the glaze. Allow the glaze to harden on the wax paper before serving.
Notes
- These scones are a lighter version of traditional apple scones, incorporating whole wheat flour and unsweetened apple sauce for added moisture and nutrition.
- Use Granny Smith apples for a tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the glaze.
- Be careful not to overwork the dough to keep scones tender and flaky.
- The glaze should be thick but pourable; add milk gradually to achieve this texture.
- Serve scones fresh the same day for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 184 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
