Puritanically Good Apple Scones with Sinfully Delicious Salted Caramel Sauce

It’s a good thing I’m not a Puritan because I would have to sew a giant “S” over the Williams-Sonoma patch on my apron. Like Hester Prynne, I would wear my letter of shame proudly though - “S,” for scone. No good, self-denying Puritan would be able to indulge in these with a clear conscious; their lavishness would require a public confession and a trip to the stocks. These morsels of spicy apple goodness are made even more tantalizing when drizzled in a sinfully delicious salted caramel sauce.

I adapted this recipe a bit, mostly adding more spices.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, chilled
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
caramel sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sal Salted Caramel Sauce)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet, or line with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Cut butter into cubes and cut in with forks or a pastry cutter until it resembles course crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together cream, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla.
4. Combine liquid with dry ingredients. Use a spatula and try not to over-stir. Fold in the apples.
5. Form dough into a ball and pat out on floured surface so that it forms a disc. Cut like a pizza and transfer to baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove scones from oven, transfer to wire rack and drizzle with caramel sauce.
8. Eat warm caramelly scone while reading Hawthorne and reflecting on how good you have it.