Spiced Apple Scones

These Spiced Apple Scones are flavored with apple pie spice and dried apples. They are tender, moist and never cakey! I’ve topped them with cinnamon sugar for texture and sweetness.

I love the flavor of apple scones but hate those gummy patches around the apples. I fixed that gummy texture by using chopped dried apples in these easy spiced apple scones.

I got my scone education living in Hong Kong when it was still a British colony, so I have adapted the British criteria for scones. They must be tender, moist and never cakey. These scones have my signature tender, moist, perfectly dense scone texture like these Cinnamon Swirl Scones, my chocolate chip scones or classic blueberry scones.

I like to mix up my breakfast pastry recipes in the Fall and serve an assortment, because there are so many great options. Try a little basket of pumpkin cream cheese muffins, pumpkin coffee cake, and gluten free pumpkin bars!

What makes tender, moist Spiced Apple Scones?

Cutting cold, cubed butter completely into the dry ingredients will cut the gluten strands and limit their ability to create a strong network. A strong gluten network will make a tough scone. I mix all the wet ingredients before adding it to the dough. This allows for a quick incorporation and will make tender spiced apple scones. I also finish mixing with a delicate hand.

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How to know when my spiced apple scones are done?

Scones are done when the fattest part provides some resistance when touched lightly. If they feel firm, then they are overdone. You can also use a cake tester when baking your spiced apple scones and it should come out clean.

Why are my scones dry?

The most common reason scones are dry is because they are overbaked. Scones can also be dry because there isn’t enough fat in the dough or it wasn’t cut into the flour enough.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to make a tender scone that is not tough. You could also use pastry flour for extra cheap insurance.
• Sugar: I use granulated sugar in these spiced apple scones. It is here for the more obvious flavor reasons, but also to retain moisture, improve texture and stability.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is lass salty than table salt and a teaspoon weighs less than other finer ground varieties. It heightens the flavor here and will keep your pastries for tasting dull or flat.
• Baking Powder: Double acting baking powder reacts instantly when mixed with an acid and then again when heated. Because it is double acting, it has a slower, more stable rise than baking soda alone. This will also allow you to make the scones ahead and freeze.
• Apple Pie Spice Mix: My recipe for Homemade Apple Pie Spice Mix only has three ingredients but packs all the flavor! My personal secret ratio.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for baking, because you want to control the amount of salt you are adding. Butter is integral because it shortens the gluten strands as it coats them during the mixing process. This keeps them from forming a strong network.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla Extract adds a beautiful flavor itself but it also boosts the flavor of other ingredients around it like apples and apple pie spices.
• Whole Egg: The eggs are here to add fat, moisture and leavening. The fat from the yolk adds richness and helps keep the scones moist. Eggs are one of the primary liquid ingredients, which help hold the scones together without developing too much gluten in the flour.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds just enough liquid to make a moist, tender scone. It also comes with fat to add to the flavor and texture.
• Dried Apples: Dried apples bring the apple flavor to these scones without making the scones gummy. Choose ones that look plump and not overly dried.
• Cinnamon: I use Saigon cinnamon but any cinnamon will do.

Variations and Substitutions for Spiced Apple Scones

• Dried Fruit: You could substitute any dried fruit your heart desires in place of the apples! Or you could add another fruit that complements, like dried pears or strawberries, like in my lemony strawberry scones!
• Spices: I am using my apple pie spice mix here but you could use 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a miracle ingredient. Together with the eggs, it provides all the moisture needed to make the scone dough. It adds fat which helps make the scones tender and keeps them moist. You can substitute half and half but not milk without serious textural repercussions.
• Fresh Apples: You could use diced fresh apples but the moisture will make little gummy pockets in your scones. You could also fold in cinnamon apple compote for extra flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions