Say hello to these chai apple scones! I mean it's barely September but I think we are all ready for fall. More importantly, we're here for the fall recipes. I'm talking hot soups, casseroles, chilis, anything comforting and anything that requires turning on the oven.
Fall has always been my favorite season. Growing up in the midwest meant it was time for apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes.
If you've ever had the pleasure of visiting an apple orchard you understand how special it is. From taking home the hand picked apples by the bucket (and for only a few dollars!!!), to enjoying them for 3x as long than store bought ones.
With apples being at the forefront of my mind this season, these chai apple scones were created. These scones make for a delicious breakfast pastry, snack, or dessert. They're also super easy to make!
What's in the Chai Apple Scones?
Made up of these 4 primary ingredients, you most likely have everything you need to make them in your kitchen right now!
- Chai spice
- Freshly grated apples
- Flour
- Cream
Scones are basically a sweetened version of a biscuit. Therefore, just like biscuits they are as simple as combing dry and wet ingredients and gently bringing the dough together. The cut and bake!
How to Make Scones
Scones are incredibly easy to make and only require a few steps.
The first step is to combine all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In a separate bowl you will combine all of the wet ingredients.
The apples need to be shredded and measured juice and all! These scones are made with a bit less cream than a normal one and that extra liquid is made up from the juice from grating the apples.
The next step is to combine both the dry and wet ingredients. Scones are a light and delicate pastry and can easily be overworked.
The best technique for a soft tender scone is to gently lift and fold the dough until it comes together. It will be very dry and crumbly at first, but then the flour will start to absorb some of the moisture from the apples and cream.
When the dough comes together completely, you will turn it out onto your counter. You might need to flour it a bit so the dough doesn't stick. It will be pretty soft and delicate.
Then using your hands you will gently form it into a long rectangle that measure 1" thick. It should be long enough to get at least 6 triangles from it.
You will cut the scone dough with a knife and carefully transfer them to a parchment lined baking tray. Putting them in the freezer afterwards will help them maintain their shape while the oven is preheating.
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
Because this is a baked scone, I tried making the recipe with a few different apples. Most apples are generally good for baking but some are not! The two I used and didn't notice a difference with were:
- Gala
- Fuji
These are both two very widely known and seen in stores. Although any of the apples from this list are good for baking and would be fine:
- Granny Smith (keep in mind this apple is more tart so your scones will be less sweet!)
- Braeburn
- Pink lady (another that can sometimes be on the more tart side)
- Honeycrisp
Chai Spiced Apple Scones
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded apple, packed (with juice) about 1 ½ apples, gala or fuji, you want the freshest possible! old apples will just mush when you grate them
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chai spice blend
- ⅓ cup sugar
Chai Apple Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp chai spice
- 1-2 tbsp apple juice
Quick Chai Spice Blend
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare a baking pan with parchment and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Shred the apples into a small bowl (no need to peel them) and measure them packed into the cup. The apple shreds will be mushy and pretty juicy! Add the cold cream and place in the fridge.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, chai spice, and sugar. Mix with a spoon to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and then pour in your cream and apple mixture.
- Using your fingers, gently start stirring the flour into the center of the wets. Bring the dough up and let it fall back down into the bowl. It will be very dry and crumbly to begin. Keep stirring gently until the flour is completely hydrated by the cream and apple and no more dry spots remain.
- Lightly flour a surface and turn out the dough on top of it. Using your hands, form the dough into a rectangle. It should be 1 inch thick and should be long enough to cut 6 triangles from it. The dough will be pretty soft.
- Using a sharp knife, cut out the triangles and gently transfer them to the prepped baking tray. Place in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
- When the oven is preheated, bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the tray and bake for another 10 minutes. They still be soft when done but will have some browning on the sides and bottom.
Making the Chai Apple Glaze
- To make the glaze, place all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine well. Add more powdered sugar if its too thin.
- Drizzle over cooled scones and enjoy!
Tasted very good, ate so many i had to take a nap.