Apple Oat Scones

apple oat scones

For the month of September I search and tasted and tested, every apple combination I could think of. I wish I could say they were all delicious. (They weren’t.) But this recipe was like: Walk away before you eat them all. People grabbed them for breakfasts, lunch boxes, snacks and desserts. I’m sure it helped that we used apples straight from the pick-your-own orchard. The scones are not as pretty as my lemon scone recipe or the pumpkin chocolate chip scones, but they are good — earthy, not-too-sweet, bursting with bits of fruit. And the smell of cinnamon will linger in your kitchen for days. Promise.

Makes a dozen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups tart apples (about 2 medium), peeled, cored and finely diced
  • 2/3 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cup organic rolled oats
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup honey, local if you can get it

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix prepared apples with buttermilk. Store in refrigerator until needed.
  2. Mix together flour, oats, spices, baking powder and soda in bowl of stand-up mixer. Add butter. Mix until all is well incorporated and butter becomes pea-sized chunks.
  3. Remove bowl from mixer. Add honey, mixing well. Add apples and buttermilk, stirring with spoon until the batter just comes together.
  4. Scoop 12 large spoonfuls of dough onto Parchment-lined baking tray, leaving space between each spoonful.
  5. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.