Granny Smith apple adds pleasing tartness to a scone dough made with cream steeped with rose-flavored tea.
Apple-Rose Scones
Serves: approximately 14
For best results, dice apples into small pieces approximately the size of fresh cranberries.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons loose-leaf rose congou black tea*
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup very small–dice peeled tart apple**
- 2 large eggs, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat until very hot and steaming and bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove from heat. Stir in loose tea. Cover pan and let steep for 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until very cold.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ⅓ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in apple, tossing to coat with flour mixture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold steeped cream, and vanilla extract until blended. Add to flour mixture, stirring until mixture is evenly moist. Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms. (If dough seems dry and won’t come together, add more steeped cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.)
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently until smooth by patting dough and folding it in half 4 to 5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut 14 scones from dough, rerolling scraps as needed. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream until blended. Brush tops of scones with egg mixture. Sprinkle lightly with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Bake until edges of scones are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: Steeped cream can be made a day in advance, stored in a covered container, and refrigerated.
*We used Mark T. Wendell Tea Company, 978-635-9200, marktwendell.com.
**We used a Granny Smith apple.
*We used Mark T. Wendell Tea Company, 978-635-9200, marktwendell.com.
**We used a Granny Smith apple.
