Apple & Cheddar Mini Scones

Spring properly now. The azaleas on my commute are in full bloom and I have been driving that stretch slower than necessary every morning this week. Tyler says I am always late when the azaleas bloom. I said that is a fair trade for something beautiful.

We are trying to get pregnant and I am trying not to let the trying become its own kind of anxiety. I have enough categories of anxiety. I do not need a new one. I am cooking well and sleeping enough and going to Gloria on Sundays and going to the daycare Monday through Friday and letting my life be what it is, which is full and good, while we wait for it to become something more.

Destiny came to spend Saturday with us at the duplex this week. She is seven and she is full of opinions about everything. She inspected every room and declared the kitchen the best room, which confirmed her excellent judgment. She made biscuits while I made soup and Tyler sat at the table doing absolutely nothing useful except being supportive and occasionally tasting things and giving his honest opinion, which is the most useful thing he could have done.

We ate lunch at the kitchen table, the three of us, and then Destiny fell asleep on the sofa for two hours and Tyler and I sat on the back porch with coffee and did not talk much and that was exactly right. Some afternoons are supposed to be quiet. Some afternoons do not need to be more than what they are.

Destiny made the biscuits that day, and watching her work at the counter with all the seriousness a seven-year-old can summon made me want to share something close to what we baked together — something that has that same warm, pull-apart energy but with a little extra something tucked inside. These Apple & Cheddar Mini Scones are my answer to that afternoon: a little sweet, a little savory, small enough to disappear quickly, and exactly the kind of thing that belongs on a kitchen table when the people around it are the right ones.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 18 minutes | Total Time: 33 minutes | Servings: 16 mini scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cold whole milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon milk, for brushing

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until evenly mixed.
Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Keep the butter cold — this is what makes the scones flaky.
Add the mix-ins. Stir in the shredded cheddar, diced apple, and green onions until evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cold milk, egg, and honey. Pour over the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
Shape the scones. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, about 8 by 6 inches. Cut into 16 small squares or use a 1 1/2-inch round cutter to punch out rounds. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Brush and bake. Brush the tops lightly with the remaining tablespoon of milk. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve. Let the scones rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple & Cheddar Mini Scones — The Afternoon Destiny Declared the Kitchen the Best Room