With bright ribbons of red and green, slivers of the juicy McIntosh offer a tantalizing preview to wonders within Apple and Irish Cheddar Scones. Cream cheese gives these treats a delightful crumb, while dried apples, gourmet cheese, and chopped nuts add interest.
Apple and Irish Cheddar Scones
Makes 8
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup freshly shredded Irish white Cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup chopped dried apples
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 McIntosh apple, cored and thinly sliced
- Honey Butter (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in butter and cream cheese until mixture is crumbly. Stir in Cheddar cheese, dried apples, and walnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup cream and egg. Gradually add to flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened.
- Shape mixture into an 8-inch round on prepared pan. Cut round into 8 wedges; gently separate wedges, and arrange approximately 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from oven, and brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons cream. Arrange desired amount of apple slices over scones; return to oven, and bake until scones are light golden brown, about 8 minutes more. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving with Honey Butter.
Honey Butter
Makes approximately ½ cup
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together softened butter, honey, and cinnamon until smooth.
For more harvest-perfect recipes, see “Orchard Abundance” on page 109 of the September 2018 issue, available for purchase on newsstands and online.
