I love rhubarb in spring, fruit cobblers in summer, and apples in autumn. Each year, we return from the U-Pick orchard with bushels of apples. Some are for after-school snacks, some for Thanksgiving pies. Buttery scones are the greatest way to use farm-fresh fruit.
Scone with cinnamon and cardamom, grated apple, luscious apple butter, and sparkling, crunchy coarse sugar. Every wedge combines apple pie with delicate cream scones for the best fall breakfast.
– 2large eggs, divided – 1 teaspoonwater – 2 1/2 cupall-purpose flour – 1/2 cupgranulated sugar – 1 tablespoonbaking powder – 1 tablespoonground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoonkosher salt – 1/4 teaspoonground cardamom
– 6 tablespoon(3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter – 1/2medium crisp-sweet apple, such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Gala – 1/3 cupcold heavy cream – 1 tablespoonvanilla extract – 1/2 cupapple butter – 2 tablespooncoarse sugar, such as demerara, turbinado, or sugar in the raw
Mix 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl with a fork.
Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom in a large basin.
Cut 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces. Scatter over the flour mixture and use your fingers or a pastry blender to massage the butter into irregular pea-sized crumbs with a few bigger flat bits. Grate 1/2 medium unpeeled apple using a box grater's big holes (1/2 cup). Add to flour mixture and mix with hands.
Whisk 1/3 cup cool heavy cream, 1 big egg, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour over flour mixture and stir with spatula to moisten. Fold the dough eight times with your hands to include all the flour.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two 12-ounce portions. Each dough piece should be a rough 8-inch circular (approximately 1/3-inch thick).
Place one dough circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup apple butter evenly over the dough's center, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush egg wash on borders. Add the last dough round.
Egg wash the top dough round lightly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, pressing it lightly into the top to stick and concentrate on the outer border to seal the scones. While the oven warms, freeze for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges with a knife or bench scraper. Lift each triangle and separate the wedges by at least 1 inch.
Bake 18–20 minutes until sides and bottom are golden. Sit the scones on a wire rack for 5 minutes after baking. Using a knife or bench scraper, separate scones that bonded while baking. Serve warm or room temperature.