Apple Scones with a Browned Butter Glaze

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

I’m so happy to share these apple scones with you 🙂 Sunday morning I thought I would make some apple scones for my little family and thankfully it got written down because we loved it! Still, I wanted some changes because is was in my mind to make an Apple Cider Scone because I wanted to incorporate fresh apple cider in them and it sounded different and fun but it DID NOT work. And yesterday when I went to test the recipe again the glaze was a HUGE fail.. it was so bad and didn’t even taste like apple cider, just sweet flavorless icing. SO.. I basically recreated what I made on Sunday and was very happy with it. Browned butter glaze dripping down from the sides and a soft scone to soak it all up.

YUM!

LET’S TALK SCONE DRAMA.

I do have 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour in the dry ingredients list. I am trying to incorporate more whole wheat into my baking without making it too dense or wheat-y. You simply can use more whole wheat flour or none at all, just do make sure that you have 2 1/2 cups of flour total and know the results might be slightly different. Even the slightest of whole wheat flour adds a nuttiness and body to the scones, so that is the main reason it is part of the recipe. 🙂

NOW.. the really important things. I am a fan of soft and pillow-y scones rather dry, dense, or crumbly. Here are some ingredients that keep them flaky and soft.

First BUTTERR: Scones NEED moisture and they NEED butter. And not just melted or softened butter, but butter that is still left in the refrigerator until it is ready to be grated. I grate my butter in scones and biscuits rather than cubing it because it disperses farther throughout the dough, is easy to clean up, and instead of filling big pockets of butter it adds layers. When the scones are chilled for a few minutes in the refrigerator, it allows the butter to harden again. When put in a 400 degree oven, the butter evaporates from within the dough adding, delicate layers creating that flaky scone we have all have known to LOVE! 😉

Second, PLAIN GREEK Yogurt adds the moisture we all crave with a fresh scone. It also adds acidity to the scone dough to help boost the baking powder while baking.

Now DO NOT overwork your dough. Gently fold it together with your hands or a wooden spoon. We want the butter to keep its grated form and refrain from “kneading” it into the dough. If the dough seems too dry for all of it to come together, simply add a bit more heavy cream, but it should still leave a few crumbs here and there.

Finally! Please do refrigerate your scones after they have been place on a baking sheet. It only needs about 10-12 minutes, long enough to preheat your oven and tidy up the scone mess 😉 What this does is give your scones its shape instead of spreading on the pan and tells the butter its job is to melt into the scone dough as soon as it hits the hot oven.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, rotating once. You may see some puddles of butter half way though around the scones but no worries, it should be gone by the 20-23 minute mark.

Now, browned butter. Needless to say, I’m a little obsessed with browned butter and cannot get enough of it in sweets lately. It compliments it so much and cuts out the overpowering powdered sugar vibe you often taste.

If you have never browned butter, it is very simple.. but you do not want to burn it, there is a difference.

Browned butter whether done in the microwave or on the stove top has a toasted smell and is a light to dark amber color. If it is black or smells bitter, it has gone too far and needs discarded. I always watch mine like a hawk because it can get from browned to burnt quick!

Enough about these already.. Let’s get to baking!!! I hope you enjoy these with your family and friends or bless someone else with a sweet fall treat.