Irish Cheddar-Apple Scones

(Jane Bruce)

These scones are the perfect morning indulgence — they're cheesy, buttery, and flaky with just a hint of sweetness.

Cook Time:

Prep Time:20 min

Total Time:1 hours10 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

Salt

6 tablespoon butter, cubed and chilled

3/4 cup shredded Dubliner or mild Cheddar

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the apples on a lined baking sheet and bake until dry to the touch, approximately 20 minutes (time may vary depending on the size of your apple pieces). Remove from oven and let cool completely (to speed up this process, you can place the apples in the refrigerator or freezer briefly). Leave oven on.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips, being careful not to let the butter warm up too much. Don't fully incorporate the butter into the flour mixture — you want some small butter pieces to keep the scones nice and flaky.

Add the Dubliner, cream, apples, and 1 egg to the butter/flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is just combined. There will still be some small chunks of butter — that's OK!

Liberally flour your countertop and, using a rolling pin or your hands, spread the dough into a circle approximately 1- to 1 ½-inches thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place on a freshly lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg together with a pinch of salt. Brush the tops of each scone with the egg wash, and then sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake scones until golden, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for approximately 10-15 minutes.