- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 2 t baking powder
- ¼ t salt
- ½ t ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 cup peeled and chopped tart apple (cook's note: too moist, use ¾ cup!)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup whole milk, plus extra for topping
- 1 large egg
- 1 t vanilla extract
- Course sugar
For the Scones:
Prepare the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10 x 15-inch baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or a fork. Work until the butter pieces are all about the size of a pea. Add the apple and pecan pieces and toss. Place the bowl in the freezer to keep cold.
In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together until fully mixed. Remove the bowl from the freezer and pour the wet ingredients over top. Gently stir together until a shaggy dough forms. Pour onto a clean counter and gently press the dough together. For large scones, press into an 8-inch wide circle and cut into 8 triangles. For small scones, divide the dough into two 5-inch circles and cut each into 6 scones. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with course sugar for some sparkle and texture. Bake until the scone tops are light brown. For large scones, bake for 18 to 20 minutes, and for smaller scones, bake for 16 to 18 minutes. I always recommend bakingh a test scone to make sure the bake time is right.
For the Glaze:
While the scones are baking, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the browned butter (cook over medium heat until butter bubbles and takes on a golden brown color), powdered sugar and vanilla. Add 1 to 2 T of milk to thin if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the hot scones to encourage the glaze to soak in, or wait until the scones have cooled more. Best served slightly warm. These will keep in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days or can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw and warm to serve.
