Apple Scones

Apple Scones
From http://www.rightathome.com/view.aspx?pid=208#

These scones, created by Carrie Levin, restaurant owner and author of The Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook (Warner Books © 2001) are in a class by themselves, inspired by the first ones she ate 30 years ago in a restaurant overlooking the white cliffs of Dover. (The British serve their "skahns" with strawberry jam and clotted cream.) Try Carrie's with her extra-special Strawberry Butter.

* Servings : Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

* 4 Tablespoon (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick) cold butter
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup wheat germ
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 Tablespoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 eggs (1 for glazing)
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* 1 Granny Smith apple (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, about 1 cup)*


*You can also substitute other fruits like blueberries, pears, or pineapple in the same proportion, depending on what's in season.

Directions
step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°.

step 2 Cut the butter into small (1/4-inch) chunks, rewrap it in the paper, and return it to the refrigerator.

step 3 In large bowl mix all dry ingredients, including the sugar.

step 4 In separate bowl or measuring cup, beat 1 egg and combine with buttermilk.

step 5 Take butter chunks out of fridge and combine with dry mix a few at a time. Put both hands in the bowl and roll the flour between thumb and fingers, letting contents drop back into bowl each time. Finished batter should have a gravelly texture—shot through with uneven-sized pebbles of butter.

step 6 Comb the buttermilk-egg mixture into the butter flour "gravel" using a fork (or fingers), then add the apple cubes, blending though the batter just enough to be able to make two equal-sized balls. (Sooner is better than—don't overwork this dough!)

step 7 Gently flatten the balls into two disks about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
"Pizza-slice" each disk into 4 triangular sections.
step 8Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet.
step 9Beat the second egg and brush it on the scones as a glaze.
step 10Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.