APPLE SCONES

Not sure why, since my husband and I are both retired, but Saturday mornings still feel different to us. Like they do for people who work Monday thru Friday. Anyway, I decided I would make these special Apple Scones last Saturday when we got up.  My husband still ate his cereal as usual, but I waited to enjoy the scones for my breakfast. (He always did the same thing when I made biscuits - a special breakfast treat on Saturday mornings when we were still working.) So it doesn't bother me anymore since I am used to it. He did enjoy eating a wedge of the apple I used with his cereal when I told him I didn't need it for the recipe.

These apple scones is another one of the recipes I found in dil Sara's cookbook, FALL, Family & Friends from Gooseberry Patch. The recipe was actually contributed by Jennifer Best from Phelan, CA.  She said she had found the recipe in an old 1950's cookbook. Her kids like them made with dried cherries instead of the apples. I bet they are good that way. 

APPLE SCONES

2       cups all-purpose flour
1        teaspoon baking powder
1        teaspoon salt
3       tablespoons butter (I used margarine)
1/4    cup sugar (I used 2 tablespoons sugar/stevia blend)
1       cup apple, peeled, cored, and minced (chopped)
1       egg, beaten
2/3  cup skim milk
Garnish: 2 tablespoons margarine and 2 tablespoons sugar or 1 tablespoon sugar/stevia blend

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 12 x 8 - inch baking pan. (Mine was more like 10 x 8)

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Cut in margarine. (To make this easier, I cut thin slices in the margarine and then when I use my fingers, the margarine breaks up easier.)

Add sugar and diced apple.

Combine the egg and milk and add to mixture.

Stir until a dough forms.

On a floured surface, dump the dough.

Knead until well blended.  Add a little flour as necessary so it isn't sticky. You don't have to do this for long.  You mainly want the dough to be smoother and not sticky.

Spread the dough in the pan touching your fingers in some flour if the dough is still a little sticky in places.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove and cut into 12 squares. Spread tops with the garnish (melted margarine and sugar)

(Can cut each square in half to make 24 smaller scones if you like.) 





I ate one "square" and decided I couldn't stop at just one...it was so good. So I decided to go on and cut the rest in half to make the triangles.  Then when I ate one and decided I wanted another one, I was just eating "a whole one".  

It's just a mental thing.

Anyway, here is a tip for chopping the apples finely.

I always peel the apples (if the recipe says to) first, and then with my handy dandy corer, remove the core and thus cut the apple into wedges.

Depending on the size I want my slices or chopped apples, I usually cut the wedge into three slices.  

Then holding the slices together with my fingers, I will make one cut in the middle across the "wedge" going through all three layers. (horizontal cut)

Then I start cutting from the right end (I am right handed) across the apple cutting chunks as big as I want them to be. (vertical cut)

Works perfectly every time and is so easy.