Apple Pie Scones

I'm discovering that Fall really is my favorite time of year. I love all seasons, but the smells, colors, and tastes of autumn are easy to fall in love with...(I just love a good pun, especially when it comes so effortlessly.)

My friend, Amanda (She has a fantastic blog: Maple Alps) challenged me to create something delicious with apples. (You'll have to check out her Apple Cinnamon Rolls here!) I began to mentally flip through my cognitive recipe index. Hmm...apple pancakes? Apple pie squares? Apple salad? Apple scones? AH HA! Apple scones...with a luscious maple or caramel drizzle. That will be my contribution to your fall breakfast routine.

Apple Pie Scones (with toasted pecans)

So, I created this recipe in an unusual way. I like the idea of caramel apple pie, so decided that I'd make a caramel sauce to toss the apples in before folding them into my dry ingredients. That worked well, until the moisture from the apples turned my caramel sauce into...well...NOT caramel sauce. Not to be deterred, I used my caramel apple "soup" and mixed everything together, gently patted the dough into a square (about 1-in. - 1 1/2-in. thick), and cut those babies into triangles. I laid them out on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and baked them for about 15 minutes--or until they were beautifully golden brown on top and bottom. 

Mmmmm. We loved them! Even without a drizzle on top! I think I've made these every week for the last four weeks. 

Here is your list of ingredients:

2 apples, peeled, sliced thin
3 Tb. Earth Balance, or other non-dairy margarine
3 Tb. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla, opt.

2 1/2 cups flour (I've made these half white/half whole wheat pastry flour and it's a beautiful thing. )
1 scant Tb. aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tb. brown sugar
3 Tb. Earth Balance

Instructions:

1) Peel and slice apples of choice.
2) In a saucepan, over medium high heat, melt 3 Tb. Earth Balance with 3 Tb. brown sugar. Whisk until the brown sugar completely melts and incorporates with the margarine and a caramel-like substance emerges.
3) Add sliced apples to caramel mix and stir to combine well. Add lemon zest and cinnamon and mix. Vanilla goes in, too, if you're using it.
4) Allow to gently cook for a few minutes until apples are semi-soft. Turn off heat and set aside.
5) In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 Tb. brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
6) Cut 3 Tb. Earth Balance into the flour mixture until it resembles pebbles.
7) Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, then pour in slightly cooled apple/caramel sauce.
8) Using a fork, stir apples and flour mix together until it forms a dough, then turn out onto your counter and lightly knead just two or three times until it all comes together. (You don't want to work it too much or the scones will be tough.)
9) Form the dough into a 8 x 8 square about 1 - 1 1/2 in. thick.
10) Using a large sharp knife, cut dough vertically into three strips, then horizontally into three strips, forming 6 pieces. Cut each of those pieces to form triangles.
11) Place each scone onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet, allowing space between each for rising.
12) Bake at 415*F for about 18 minutes, or until scones are beautifully golden. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Yield: 18 small/medium scones

If you like these, you'll also want to try Crystal's homemade apple croissants at her beautiful blog: CW Design.

Pumpkin Scones

I've been trying to be thrifty lately. Making my own laundry detergent, frequenting thrift stores instead of heading directly to the department store, baking and pureeing my own pumpkin...I thought I'd save a lot of money by doing the latter. I didn't. Here's why. 

I bought two small pie pumpkins for $4.00 and only ended up with about 30 ounces of pumpkin. That's the equivalent of two cans of pumpkin at the grocery store. I'm pretty sure you can get a can of pumpkin for less than $2.00. So, in order to really save money, I need to get a gigantic pumpkin! I'm sure I can...I know I can...I WILL do better than a purchased can of pumpkin. Plus, fresh pureed pumpkin tastes better, in my humble opinion.

So, tonight I used my puree in two recipes. First I made Pumpkin Bars (archived recipe) to take for my daughters class tomorrow morning, and then I found a recipe by Iowa Girl Eats for Starbucks Clone Pumpkin Scones. They sounded delicious and easy. They are. I chose to use my food processor to mix the ingredients together, but you can use the bowl and spoon method, too. I altered her recipe, but you can visit her website for the original. Just click on the link above.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

7 Tb. granulated sugar

1 Tb. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 Tb. canned coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp. egg replacer (Ener'G) whisked with 2 Tb. warm water

6 Tb. cold stick margarine, cut in pieces

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425. 

In large food processor or mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices and mix well to combine. Add cold margarine in chunks and pulse in food processor until mix is the texture of dry biscuit mix. If you're not using a food processor, just cut the margarine in with fingers or a fork until it reaches the same texture. 

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin puree, coconut milk and egg replacer. Add to dry ingredients and pulse to combine, or stir until the dough comes together into a ball. Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times to bring the dough together, then shape into a circle about 1" thick. Cut the circle in half, then into quarters (making 8 equal scones).

Place wedges on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool until safe to handle, then transfer to a cooling rack. When scones are cool, top with these two delightful icings. 

Plain Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tb. canned coconut milk

Mix together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Use half of the icing as the first layer. Allow to harden slightly before applying the spiced icing. 

Spiced Icing:

Add a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of allspice to the remaining plain icing. Drizzle over the top of the plain icing. Allow to harden before eating scone. It will be hard, but you can do it.

Yield: 8 scones

Walnut Fig Scones with Citrus Glaze

Fall is here, whether I'm ready for it or not. I spent the morning going through my children's clothes and pulling out their shorts and t-shirts to make room for the toasty warm sweaters and fleece pajamas that will fill their dresser drawers now. With the gusty winds and brisk temperatures comes the desire for something warm and comforting. Pumpkin...walnuts...figs...come to mind when I think of Fall.

A friend of ours knows that our family likes unusual foods and graciously gave me the inspiration for these breakfast treats. A jar of Dalmatia Fig Spread. I thought, "What kind of neat experiment can I come up with using fig spread? We love it served with scones. Whole wheat toast makes a pretty good accompaniment, too. What would happen if I mixed fig preserves into a scone dough?"  These emerged as a result. I added grated apples, walnuts, and a hint of molasses.  I also incorporated whole wheat flour up the ante on the fiber content. The top has a nice citrus glaze with a bit more fig preserves to really enhance the flavor. 

We had mixed reviews in our home after the initial taste test. Our toddler ate two of them right away. My small group ladies and I enjoyed them, too. Our 6-year-old, however, took one small bite and put the scone aside. I take it fig isn't her favorite flavor. :0) 

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (half white, half wheat or 2 cups white to 1 cup wheat)

1 Tb. baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. allspice

1 cup peeled, grated apple of choice (I used 1 Golden Delicious)

1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts

3 Tb. Fig preserves

6 Tb. Earth Balance margarine

3/4 cup Almond milk

1 Tb. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tb. water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and allspice. Cut margarine into flour mixture until it looks like the consistency of small peas. Make a well in the center. In another small bowl, combine grated apple, walnuts, fig preserves, almond milk, and flax seed-water mixture.  

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir well to combine. If the dough appears to be too soft (like muffin batter), add a bit more flour until it's easy to handle. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times to incorporate flour. Shape into a 8 x 8 square about 1-in. thick and cut into to wedges or squares. Place scones about  3/4-in. apart on a large baking sheet and bake for approximately 16-18 minutes or until toasty golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spooning the citrus glaze over.

Citrus Fig Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 T. fig preserves

1 T. orange juice, or enough until you reach the desired drizzling consistency.

These are really best eaten the same day. 

Blackberry Scones with Lemon Drizzle - Sunday Bonus

I usually like to make something a bit more special for breakfast on Sundays. I have more time, and Daddy is home to enjoy breakfast with the family. So this morning, I made coconut and citrus scented oatmeal and these blackberry scones. I looked online for a recipe for blackberry scones and found one that I augmented quite a bit. The concept was good, but I like a bit more depth of texture in my scone, so I added cornmeal and whole wheat flour to the white flour it called for. The drizzle on top...Oh, man. It makes the flavors come alive. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup frozen blackberries

1 Tb. flour

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tb. cornmeal

3/4 Tb. baking powder

3 Tb. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

6 Tb. Earth Balance margarine

1 cup canned coconut milk

2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tb. Earth Balance margarine

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Pour blackberries into a small bowl and toss them in 1 Tb. flour. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Cut in margarine or mix with fingers until the texture of the mix is pebbly. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients. 

In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together canned coconut milk and vanilla.  Add all at once to the dry ingredients. (My daughter enjoyed helping me with this part!) Stir together with a fork until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times until it's somewhat smooth. Add blackberries. I did this by making a small disk shape with my dough and pouring the blackberries into the middle of the dough disk. I then folded one side of the disk over and lightly pressed down, repeating with the other side of the dough. Gently pull and press the dough maybe a total of 4 times before shaping into an 8-in. round circle about 3/4 in. thick.

Cut the dough circle into 8 wedges and place wedges onto ungreased cookie sheet, leaving about 1-in. space between each piece. Cut 1 Tb. of Earth Balance margarine into small pieces. Place a small dab of margarine on each wedge before popping them into the oven to bake. Bake for approximately 21 minutes, or until the tops are beautifully golden brown.

Remove from oven. Drizzle warm scones with the following lemon icing and allow to cool for a few minutes to harden the icing. 

Lemon Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

3-4 Tb. lemon juice

Place 1 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, stirring well, until you get a nice thick drizzling consistency. The icing should cling to the spoon a little bit like honey. 

Enjoy on these blackberry scones or  blueberry cornmeal scones.

Strawberry Almond Scones

My husbands Aunt Carol provided the inspiration for these lovely tea scones. I experimented with a batch and they disappeared somehow!

This recipe is so versatile ~ you could substitute other types of dried fruits and nuts and they'd be just as tasty.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup margarine
3 Tbsp. chia gel (or other egg replacer to equal 2 eggs)
3/4 cup canned coconut milk or cream
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed strawberries, chopped
1/3 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Soy milk
Sugar

Instructions
Combine flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in margarine with a fork or pastry blender until mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center of the mix and set the bowl aside.

In a 2 cup measure or small mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, egg replacer, almond extract, and strawberries. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Add almonds and stir with a fork until just moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly and gently knead by folding and pressing dough for 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-in. square. Cut into 16 squares.

Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and brush tops with soy milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.

Let scones rest slightly to cool, then drizzle with powdered sugar glaze.
*1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, 1 Tbsp. soy milk or water. Mix well in a small bowl and add enough water or milk to make a drizzling consistency.

White Chocolate Cherry Walnut Scones

I'm a mom. When I moved from Detroit to a small town in Western Michigan, I missed my involvement in a moms group. I enjoyed conversation with other women who were experiencing the same challenges I faced every day; I enjoyed the refreshments and warm atmosphere there. So, one of the first things I did when we moved? Started planning a moms group...

And, for our first meeting, I made this tasty rendition of an English Tea Scone. I love scones anyway, but these are special- all crunchy and only slightly sweet.

My professional taste tester (hubby) suggested keeping them a little more simple, so you can exercise your own creativity and mix and match flavors to your own preference.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 Tblsp brown sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup margarine
4 Tbsp. Chia gel (or egg replacer to the equivalent of 2 eggs)*
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (opt)
1/2 cup white chocolate chip (opt)
Soymilk
White Sugar

Instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in margarine until it resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in dried fruit and chopped nuts and combine with flour.  Make a well in the center of dry mixture and set the bowl aside.

Combine egg replacer, coconut milk, and vanilla in another small bowl. Add all at once to dry mixture. Using a fork, stir and press until the dough comes together and forms a ball. 

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough by folding and gently pressing about 12-14 strokes or until it's nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into a large circle. Cut into 8 equal wedges. 

Place scones 1-in. apart on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Brush scones with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake in a 400• oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove scones from oven. At this point you can drizzle with an orange glaze** or just serve as is...nice and warm.

* Chia gel can be made by combining 2 Tbsp. Chia seeds with 1 cup of water. Stir well and set aside for a few minutes to allow gel to form. 2-3 Tbsp. = 1 egg. Chia seeds are extremely high in protein and are very good for sustained energy.
** Orange glaze: 1 cup pwdrd. sugar, 1 Tbsp. orange juice, pinch of orange zest. Mix together sugar, orange juice and zest, adding additional juice until it becomes a drizzling consistency.

You don't have to be a mom to enjoy these little treats... :-)

~ Modified from the original recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book.

Blueberry Cornmeal Scones

I happened across this recipe for berry-cornmeal scones when we lived in Colorado. My husband is an avid outdoorsman and he loved to take a few of these hearty treats with him on his mountain climbing expeditions.

Cornmeal gives this recipe a satisfying crunch and succulent blueberries pop with juicy sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup margarine

1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel (you could also use lemon or orange)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries), thawed

2/3 cup sour soy milk (*see instructions below)

1 tsp. vanilla

*To make sour soy milk: For each cup of sour milk required, place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup total of liquid. Combine and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using in your recipe.

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a fork, cut in margarine until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add lime or lemon peel. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture. In another bowl combine blueberries, milk and vanilla. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead dough about 10-12 strokes until nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-in. circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut dough into 10 wedges, cutting only about halfway through to score.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut the wedges and serve warm. Icing is optional.

I drizzled a bit of lime icing over the top of the scones this morning and my daughter loved it! She kept remarking how much she enjoyed the sourness of the lime juice. :0)

*Original recipe in Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book, copyright 1998.