Who says sweet treats are only for dessert? Start your day with a caramel apple scone for breakfast!
I believe these are the sweetest scones that I have made. That’s not meant to dissuade you from trying the recipe. Rather it’s meant to give you perspective. For me, it meant serving the scones alongside something savory, such as scrambled eggs or turkey sausage. Although they are sweet, sometimes a little indulgence is good. Who says you can’t start the day with dessert anyway?
To learn more about this recipe, originally posted in September 2018, keep reading.
For many of the baked good recipes I create, I use my husband’s colleagues as my guinea pigs. See, for all of the hats I wear, I’m based out of my home office. So, unless I happen to have work travel, I have no local co-workers to offer treats. Since I like to have a sounding board bigger than my own opinion, I drop off plates of goodies when possible.
Although I’m not one who likes to toot her horn, I know that my treats have become fairly popular. A typical drop-off goes something along these lines:
- I bring treats to the office.
- Someone places a message on a company-wide Slack channel.
- People stream to the break room to grab a snack.
- Feedback is sent to my husband- lots of “Delicious” and “When will the next test batch arrive?”
Apparently the day that I brought the caramel apple scones to the office there were many pieces of praise sent. Someone even noted that these were the best scones he’d ever eaten. (No, I don’t bribe them. Promise.)
I had a feeling these might be yummy treats, but I didn’t realize how well they’d be received. I definitely will need to make a batch when one or more of my chicks is back in the nest for a weekend. As they’ve had so many different types of my scones, I’m curious to see where these scones fall in their stack rank.
I did notice a couple things about these scones that make them slightly different than other scones I make. The main thing is that the diced apple makes for a wetter dough. To get the scones well baked without becoming overly browned, I used a lower oven temperature. I also increased the baking time.
I based done-ness on the look and feel of the scones. Looking at the scone, the edges should appear dry. As to feel, when you hold one in your hand, it should feel lighter when fully done. However, if you’re newer to baking scones, I’d highly recommend doing a toothpick test. I’d find it hard to quantify the exact look and feel I was seeking.
If you’re craving other caramel and apple creations, these Caramel Apple Biscotti hit the sweet spot quite nicely.
Caramel Apple Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter diced
- 3/4 cup caramel chips
- 3/4 cup peeled diced apple
- 3/4 cup buttermilk*
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
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Add butter.
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Combine dry ingredients using a pastry blender (or two forks) until butter is reduced to the size of pease.
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Add caramel chips and diced apple to flour mixture, tossing gently.
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Whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl.
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Add liquids to dry ingredients; mix until dough forms a ball.
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Place dough on a lightly floured surface and press into an 8-inch round.
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Cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
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Transfer wedges to rimmed cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper.
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Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the scones are crusty on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Serve warm.
Notes
