½cupplus 2 tablespoons buttermilk plus more buttermilk if needed
1-2tablespoonsof heavy cream for brushing tops
2teaspoonscinnamon sugarmix 2 teaspoons sugar with a pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have ready a large heavy duty baking sheet lined with nonstick foil or parchment.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon in food processor and pulse to mix.
Add the butter and pulse until coarse and crumbly, then add the chopped apple and pulse until coarse. Add the buttermilk 2 tablespoons at a time and pulse until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add a tiny bit more buttermilk only if mixture seems very dry.
Empty the crumbly mixture onto a floured surface. Shape into a 6 ½ inch round.
Using a buttered chef's knife, cut round into 8 triangles.
Brush tops of scones with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
These are great with a handful of walnuts thrown in! Also, I had to use half shortening for one batch and it actually improved the texture of the scones. If you are okay with shortening, give it a try.Variations:
For Apple Pie Scones, use white whole wheat in place of AP. Add a pinch of cardamom and reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Reduce sugar to 3 tablespoons and add a mashed or cut up piece of apple pie to the dry mixture before adding the buttermilk. You'll end up needing much less buttermilk, so start by adding 2 tablespoons.
For Chocolate Chip Espresso Scones, add ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. Add about 2 tablespoons instant coffee mix to the buttermilk.
For Mixed Berry Scones, use 2 to 3 tablespoons less buttermilk and use mixed berries instead of apple.
For Lemon-Almond Scones, add the grated zest of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the buttermilk. Add almonds.