Apple Scones with Strawberry Shortcake

*I am a brand ambassador for Strawberry Shortcake and have a working relationship with them, however all opinions are 100% my own.

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Apple Scones with Strawberry Shortcake says it all, and Fall is the time of apples so this weekend we got to baking. While my childhood memories of Strawberry Shortcake are near and dear to my heart I have to say as an adult I still am enamored with her, and maybe even a little more than I should be. But this month when my Strawberry Shortcake ambassador box arrived I was in for an instant throwback to childhood. I opened the box and inside was a  Funko Pop figurine of Strawberry Shortcake herself. I pulled her out and of course was brought back to instant childhood memories of Strawberry Shortcake. I don’t know how they do it, but she still smells the berry same. While I don’t have the Strawberry Shortcake metal lunchbox I so proudly carried it brought back all of those fond memories.

Now my goal is to complete my Funko Pop Vinyl collection with Lemon Meringue & Frappe, Orange Blossom & Marmalade, as well as Blueberry Muffin & Cheesecake. I already own Purple Pie Man and Berry Bird who of course were glad I made apple scones for them to enjoy along with Strawberry Shortcake and Custard.

APPLE CIDER SCONES RECIPE

This is one of the trickier recipes I make, but if you are up for a bit of a challenge and you like to get your little hands in a big bowl of flour, maybe you can have a little teatime treat as well. You can even use all whole wheat pastry flour if you want these to be a little healthier, but don’t use regular whole wheat flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is your best friend when you want something healthy, but still light and fluffy. We’re trying to make light scones for teatime, not hard pucks for hockey.

If you are the Apple Dumplin’ type, go for the extra apples, if you are more a raisin type of gal, go for that instead. Or, if you’re like me, leave them plain and load them up with strawberry jam and a little butter, hot out of the oven. They are good for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or to cheer up any turtle companions.

1 – 1/2 cup  all purpose flour

1 – 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold butter (half a stick)

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup buttermilk (remember you can add a Teaspoon of Vinegar to milk if you don’t have buttermilk on hand)

Optional:

2 apples, peeled and diced by your assistant

or 1/2 cup raisins

1 egg (for egg wash)

1) Preheat oven to 450 F.

2) Completely mix the flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3) Mix the honey, cider, and buttermilk in another bowl, we’ll get to them later.

4) Chop the butter up into small pieces, and add to the dry ingredients.

5) Now go wash your hands, or the next part is as yucky as a slug in a sorrel salad! Don’t be shy, stick your hands in the flour bowl and go butter hunting! Every time you find a big chunk, rub it between your finger and thumbs. Sometimes we want perfect smooth things when we are baking, but this is NOT one of those times. So, as good as you are at this, don’t rub them all away into nothing, you want gravelly bits of butter chunks at the end, and it doesn’t matter that some chunks are a little bigger or smaller.

6) Pour almost all the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, keeping about 1/8th of a cup, and add the apples or raisins if you want them.

7) Mix with a big spoon. We do NOT want a smooth ball of dough, instead we are looking for the two C’s, crumbly and clumpy. We want to mix until we get one main ball just barely sticking together with crumbs around it. If it’s not quite getting there, add more of the liquid ingredients a little bit at a time and try again. As lemon will tell you with her hair dye, it’s berry easy to add it, but it’s impossible to take it away.

8) Sprinkle some flour on a counter or a very large cutting board, and dump the ball of dough onto it. Then dust a little flour on top and smoosh the ball down with your hands into a flat disc. Again, it’s actually perfect if it’s a little cracked but still holds together, better than it being wet.

9) Roll it just a little until it’s flat and about an inch and a half thick.

10) Use your cookie cutter and cut out chubby little circles and put them on a baking tray or cookie sheet.

11) You don’t have to, but for a berry beautiful shine every time, beat an egg in a small bowl or mug until smooth, with a splash of water or milk. If you have a pastry brush, lightly paint the top and sides of every scone. If you don’t have one, do some finger painting instead.

12) Bake in center of oven for 14 minutes, or until the tops are all golden brown. Have your assistant check on the oven and remove the scones to cool for a minute.

The scones will keep for a couple days in an airtight container, and they are good cold as well, but I love them when they are hot enough to melt a little butter, especially with jam.

Be sure to get social with Strawberry Shortcake on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too!

Hungry?? Whip up a Yummy Strawberry Trifle or Shortcake Donut Recipe to help you celebrate with me.