Armagh Apple Scones

Name: Armagh Apple Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 350 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Salt; 40 g caster sugar; 75 g Unsalted butter; 150 g armagh bramley cooking apple; 180 ml Buttermilk; 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Warm, golden buttermilk scones laced with grated Armagh Bramley apple and sweet cinnamon, perfect split open and spread with salted butter.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Armagh

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 18 min
Total: 33 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 245 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

350 g self-raising flour — plus extra for dusting
1 tsp Baking powder — for extra lift
1 tsp Ground cinnamon — finely ground
¼ tsp Salt — fine sea salt
40 g caster sugar — fine white sugar
75 g Unsalted butter — chilled and diced
150 g armagh bramley cooking apple — peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
180 ml Buttermilk — plus 1 tbsp extra for brushing
1 tbsp demerara sugar — for topping crunch

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•6cm fluted pastry cutter
•Pastry brush
•Wire rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 245 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 38 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 245 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2
Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3
Stir through the caster sugar until evenly distributed.
4
Rub in the chilled cubed butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
5
Pat the grated apple lightly with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture, then toss into the flour mixture.
6
Pour in most of the buttermilk and cut together gently with a round-bladed knife to form a soft dough.
7
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough to a thickness of 2.5cm without rolling.
8
Cut rounds using a 6cm cutter, pressing straight down without twisting to ensure an even rise.
9
Arrange the scones on the prepared baking tray, brush the tops with buttermilk, and scatter with demerara sugar.
10
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until well risen, golden brown, and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
11
Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm split with salted butter.

Chef's tips

Do not twist the pastry cutter when stamping out rounds, as twisting seals the edges and stops the scones from rising evenly. Handle the dough as lightly as possible to keep the crumb tender. Bramley apples add the ideal tart contrast against the sweet cinnamon sugar.

Ingredient substitutions

buttermilk → whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and rested for 5 minutes
Armagh Bramley cooking apple → Granny Smith apple, coarsely grated

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm in an oven preheated to 160C for 5 minutes to restore their crisp crust and tender crumb.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overworking the dough, which develops gluten and produces dense, heavy scones.
•Leaving the grated apple too wet, which makes the dough sticky and soggy.
•Twisting the cutter, preventing a straight and high rise in the oven.

Serving suggestions

Serve freshly baked and split warm with thick Northern Irish salted butter.Pair with a pot of strong Ulster tea and extra apple jelly or clotted cream.