Yield: 8 scones
Recipe: 64/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 228

     This weekend I had the good fortune of remembering that scones are delicious: crunchy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside. As such, I made these apple cheddar walnut scones and was very pleased with the result! The cheddar cheese called for in this recipe adds a tangy kick that is very pleasing. I have found that scones are one of my favorite things to make because they require no eggs, not a lot of butter and they eat themselves! 

Ingredients:

• 1  2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
• 60 g (2 oz.) coarsely grated old cheddar cheese
• 1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1/3 cup cold milk, plus extra for brushing
• 1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, celery salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.
3. Cut in the chilled butter using your fingers or two knives until the mixture is crumbly. Pieces of butter will still be visible.
4. Stir in the cheddar cheese and grated apple to coat with the flour mixture.
5. Add in the milk and stir until the dough begins to come together, then turn it out on a lightly floured work surface.
6. Sprinkle the walnuts over the dough and work them in by flattening the dough with your hands, folding it over itself, and repeating the process 4-5 times until the walnuts are well incorporated into the dough.
7. Shape the dough into a disc and flatten it out with your hands until it is about 8 inches across. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place them onto the prepared baking tray.
8. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and bake for 14-16 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Notes from Anna:

• The scones are best served the day they are baked, but they can be reheated for 5 minutes in a 300°F oven to refresh them.

Valerie