Description
Full of crisp apples, warm spices, and topped with a delicious maple cinnamon glaze, these apple spice scones with maple cinnamon glaze are full of fall flavors. Light, fluffy and moist on the inside with a beautiful sugary exterior crust. A must-bake for fall!
Ingredients
For the apple spice scones
- 180 gm (3/4 cup) cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 281 gm (2 1/4 cups, spoon & leveled) cake flour
- 50 gm (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 25 gm (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 80 gm (3/4 cup) apple, peeled & diced into 1/2” pieces
For the maple cinnamon glaze
- 120 gm (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2–3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
To make the scones:
- In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract and place in the refrigerator until needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and spices. Using a pastry cutter or 2 sharp knives, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Slowly add the cold heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture while simultaneously stirring with a wooden spoon. Gently mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and mostly incorporated. Gently fold in the diced apples, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand until the dough comes together (NOTE: The dough will be crumbly, but it will come together as you work with it!) . Shape and press the dough together to form a flat disc, about 1″thick. Cut the disc into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2″ apart, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the scones from the freezer and lightly brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops and edges of the scones are beginning to lightly brown. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream and whisk to combine. The glaze should be thick, but thin enough to spread and/or drizzle over the scones, similar to a honey-consistency. Add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
Notes
Storage: These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven or the same day they are baked. However, they will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If eating them leftover, I like to pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them a bit.
Make ahead/ Freezing: Prepare the dough and cut into wedges as directed in the recipe. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 1 hour. Frozen scones can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, just add a few extra minutes to your bake time!