Caramel Apple Scones

APPLES:
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 large Gala or Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped finely
2 teaspoons cinnamon

SCONE DOUGH:
6 cups Flour
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into chunks
2 cups Greek vanilla yogurt (choose a creamy variety- nonfat is fine)

CARAMEL ICING:
8 Tablespoons salted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with baking spray.

2. Prepare the apples: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples- stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until apples are softened. Stir in the cinnamon and set the apples aside to cool (or to speed up the cooling process, remove them from the heated pan and into a bowl).

3. Prepare the scone dough: In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and mix again until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the yogurt and apples until the dough comes together (it will be dry, so you may need to eventually use your hands). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form roughly two 14 x 4-inch flattened log. Use a sharp knife to cut triangle-shaped scones (11 or 12). Gently pull the triangles apart and set them on your prepared baking sheet in the same rectangular shape, leaving about 1/2-inch between scones.

4. Bake the scones: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are cooked through and no longer doughy in the middle. Let the scones cool for a few minutes, then gently coax them apart with a knife and move them to a rack over a baking sheet.

5. Ice the scones: In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool the mixture slightly. Stir in the vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar for desired consistency. Drizzle icing over warm scones.

I didn’t get to taste them, because I was running late this morning, but hopefully the church staff liked them!  They smelled absolutely incredible!