I love Fall. Have I mentioned that before? (I know I've mentioned it before). I love the cool, crisp weather, the vibrant, colorful leaves on all the Aspens, and most of all... the produce! So, in celebration of the beginning of my favorite season, here's a recipe that features one of my favorite fall fruits - apples. While apples are really wonderful in their natural state, when you have a lot of them it's nice to incorporate them into recipes! I had so many apples on hand from my Grant Family Farms CSA fruit share that I decided to track down this wonderful recipe from Martha Stewart. These scones are moist but still crumbly and just sweet enough to feel like a treat. The oats lend a little chewy texture and add a heartiness to the scones. I tripled this recipe, brought 2 batches to Marczyk's to share with my co-workers, and the third batch I threw in a plastic bag and stuck in the freezer. Pretty good way to get through almost a dozen apples, am I right?
Martha's Apple Scones, Colorado-Style
makes 12 scones
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups diced apple (3 small apples, peeled)
2/3 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Raw turbinado sugar (optional)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, break the butter apart until a crumbly texture results and no butter pieces are larger than the size of a pea. Add apples and buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.
Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Divide the dough into two equal portions and sprinkle with flour so that the dough won't stick. Flatten each portion into circles about 1 1/2 inches thick (about the diameter of a salad plate). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and, using a knife or a dough scraper, score each circle of dough into six equal wedges. Brush the tops of the scones with a little buttermilk and generously sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until just golden, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with jam and clotted cream.