“What’s that?” Her hands are covered in butter but she’s scratching her nose oblivious and the cabinet doors are also buttered and floured- ready to bake.
The homey scent of apple and onion floats around her like a homespun halo. She turns towards you and repeats the question, the tip of her nose decidedly not dairy free.
But you’ll forgive her, even before your first bite, you always do. She’s got a way about her, she’s a damn song lyric and yet still a real woman. The detritus of her baking is why you see her in your future- why she is your future.
“Wash your hands,” you say. But somehow, now, with the heat of the oven behind you and her face so close to your own you are thinking of other things, of memories not yet made and how delicious they will taste.
Inspired and adapted from the smitten kitchen’s autumnal ode
Apple and Onion Scones with Sharp Cheddar
Ingredients
- 1 tart apple a granny smith would work great but I used a Braeburn - peeled and cored, cut into one inch pieces
- 1 cup white or yellow onion about half of one large onion minced
- 1 ½ cups 195 grams AP flour
- 2 ½ tsps sugar
- ½ T baking powder 7 grams
- ½ tsp salt 3 grams
- 6 T 85 grams unsalted butter- thoroughly chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup 65 grams shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 large egg plus another for glazing if desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 375
- On a parchment lined baking sheet oven roast the onion (sprinkled with about a tsp of sugar) and apple pieces for 20-25 minutes until both are softened. Leave the oven on.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Once apples and onions have thoroughly cooled combine with butter, cheese, half and half, and egg in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix.
- Scrape dough onto a well floured surface. Sprinkle the top with more flour (the dough is sticky) and roll or pat out to 1 ½ inch thick. You can now either cut into 6 wedges (like the original recipe) or use a biscuit cutter and make 11-12 rounds.
- Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash or cream and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- On middle rack of oven bake for about thirty minutes at 375 if wedges. For rounds increase the heat to 400 and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and firm.
- Best still warm from the oven
- I baked half the rounds and froze the rest to bake on a later date.
Leave a Reply