Ham, Cheddar and Apple Scones
Ham, Cheddar and Apple Scones
Makes 8-9
10 min.
active cooking time
20 min.
total cooking time
Ingredients
2 cups
flour
3 tbsp.
sugar
4 tsp.
baking powder
½ tsp.
cream of tartar
½ tsp.
kosher salt
½ cup
Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, very cold, cut into ½" chunks
1
Sautéed Apple (recipe below)
½ lb.
thickly sliced Boar's Head Tavern Ham, cut into small pieces
6 oz. (about 1 ½ cups)
shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1
egg, lightly beaten
½ cup
heavy cream, divided, plus more for brushing the scones
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together first 5 ingredients (through salt).
- Using a food processor or pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until butter is in pea-size pieces; stir in sautéed apple, ham and all but ¼ cup cheese.
- In a small dish, whisk egg with 2 tbsp. cream; pour into flour mixture.
- Using a fork, stir remaining cream into dough a little at a time as needed until uniformly moist and soft but not sticky (there will be lumps).
- Transfer dough to a large sheet of waxed paper; using a second sheet of waxed paper (not your hands), pat dough into a rough square shape about 9" wide, taking care not to overwork the dough (sprinkle a bit of flour on the waxed paper if dough is very sticky).
- Brush dough with a little bit of cream to moisten. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 9 squares; place 1 ½" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over scones; bake in preheated oven until scones are golden-brown (10-12 min.).
- Remove from oven; transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
SAUTÉED APPLE: In a small nonstick skillet, combine 1 peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apple with 1 ½ tsp. Kowalski’s Unsalted Butter and 1 ½ tsp. sugar; sauté over medium heat until apple is slightly tender but not mushy (about 4 min.). Cool to room temperature before use.
Tasty Tip:
- For wedge-shaped scones, pat dough into a 9" circle and cut into 8 wedges. A biscuit cutter of any shape or size can also be used to shape your scones; collect and reroll scraps very lightly.
Good to Know:
- Eggs and sugar are the primary ingredients that distinguish a scone from an American-style biscuit. These additions make scones richer in flavor and denser in texture than lighter, flakier biscuits.