Cheese & Apple Scones
Cheese & Apple Scones are lovely as a snack or with soups and salads. Tender pieces of sweet-tart Bramley apple are combined in a savoury scone with mature Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. And who doesn’t like tangy apple with cheese? Delicious served warm, split, and spread with butter.
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I do love a cheese scone. And, judging by the popularity of my Very Cheesy Cheese Scones, so do loads of you! The basic recipe, simple but so good, also lends itself to endless variations. Some of my favourites are Cheese, Chorizo & Chive Scones and Roasted Pepper, Salami & Cheese Scones.
The recipe I want to share with you today is another take on the classic cheese scone. Cheese & Apple Scones.
APPLE SCONES, SWEET & SAVOURY
It was actually a variation on my sweet Classic Sultana Scones that first prompted me to make savoury Cheese & Apple Scones. At the start of the main British apple season, I’d thought it would be good to leave out the dried fruit and swap in sweet-tart Bramley cooking apple. Pairing it with a little spice, the result was Apple & Cinnamon Scones.
I’d loved the resulting light, fluffy scones with tangy apple. And almost immediately wanted to make a savoury version.
CHEESE & APPLE SCONES
Bramley apples are perfect for scones as they retain much more of their flavour after cooking than so-called ‘eating’ or dessert apples. If you’ve used them to make something like apple sauce, where they completely break down, don’t worry that will happen with scones. They’re baked in 20 minutes tops which is just enough to get the little apple pieces tender but still having some bite.
At the end of this post, you’ll find a detailed recipe card with ingredient amounts and full instructions. But I recommend you read the post first for tips and step-by-step images.
INGREDIENTS
Other than the cooking apple, if you do any baking at all then you’ll probably already have the ingredients you need.
- Bramley apple. You’ll need one large or two smaller apples. Around 250 – 300 grams before peeling, coring, and dicing is ideal.
- Self-raising flour. I prefer white flour for scones, but you could replace some with wholemeal if you like.
- Baking powder. Although the flour already includes raising agents, this gives an extra boost.
- Salt. Enhances the flavour of the other ingredients.
- Butter. For flavour, texture, and binding.
- Cheese. I use a generous amount of mature Cheddar plus a little Parmesan in the dough and top with an extra sprinkle of Cheddar.
- Yogurt (or alternative). I use yogurt as the liquid in all my scones as it makes them light and fluffy. If you can find it, you could use buttermilk. I don’t recommend using regular milk though as it probably isn’t acidic enough to activate the raising agents. However, half yogurt and half milk should be fine.
TIPS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE SCONES
If you’ve never made scones before then you’ll be pleased to know they’re pretty quick and easy. Just follow these tips and you shouldn’t go wrong.
- Self-raising flour, baking powder etc. can lose their power quickly. So, always make sure they’re well within their ‘Best Before’ date. And, even when they are, packets opened for several months may result in a poorer rise. So don’t leave them hanging around and always store in an airtight container.
- Once the liquid has been added the raising agents will be activated, so work as quick as you reasonably can and get the scones in the oven while they’re at their peak.
- To keep scones light and fluffy, handle the dough as little and as gently as possible.
- Roll out the dough to around 3 cm thickness. This should ensure a nice, tall scone. The weight of apples in this recipe inhibits rise a little bit, so it’s even more important not to roll thinly.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE & APPLE SCONES
Start by sifting the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Then rub in the butter with your fingertips. The cheeses go in next, along with the diced apple. The yogurt (or your alternative) is gradually stirred in as you start forming a dough that’s soft but not wet. Different flours absorb varying amounts of liquid, so in the recipe card I’ve suggested between 150 – 175 ml.
When it’s almost come together, tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and very gently knead into a smooth-ish dough. Now roll out to a thickness of 3 centimetres and cut out the first scones. Gently bring together the scraps, reroll and cut out more. Continue until all the dough is used up. Using a 7 cm diameter cutter, you should get 8 scones, plus maybe a ninth that’s slightly smaller in diameter. Before popping in an oven preheated to 200°C /180° Fan /Gas 6 / 400° F, sprinkle over the extra grated Cheddar.
My Cheese & Apple Scones take 18 minutes to get risen and golden. But ovens do vary so allow 15 – 20 minutes and keep an eye on them. When done, transfer the scones to a cooling rack and leave them for a couple of minutes. This will firm the outside a little while keeping the inside light and soft.
SERVING & STORING
For me, all British-style scones are best served warm, split, and spread with butter. But did you know you should pull apart a warm scone rather than cut it? This helps to keep the fluffy interior intact, whereas a knife can squidge it into a gummy mass.
While I most often eat cheesy, savoury scones like these as a snack, I think they work brilliantly alongside things like salad, soups, and stews. In fact, almost any time you might reach for a bread roll or chunk of crusty bread. Try Cheese & Apple Scones with Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup, Quick Pea & Bacon Soup, or Simple Lentil Soup.
If you’re not going to eat all the scones within 2 days, then they’re best frozen. You can reheat in a microwave or low oven, but I’ve discovered that an air fryer is even better. A couple of minutes on reheat (after preheating) and they’re fluffy on the inside with a light crunch on the outside.
I hope you’ll try these lovely cheese scones with the added tang of apple and let me know what you think in the Comments.
Cheese & Apple Scones
These easy savoury scones combine sweet-tart Bramley apple with mature Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Delicious served warm, split, and spread with butter as a snack or alongside soups and salads.
Ingredients
- 350 g self-raising flour plus extra for rolling out
- 1.5 level tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 60 g butter
- 220 g mature Cheddar cheese (divided 180g/40g) coarsely grated
- 30 g Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 large Bramley apple 250 - 300 g before preparing
- 150 - 175 ml plain yogurt OR equal parts yogurt & milk, OR buttermilk
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 200°C /180° Fan /Gas 6 /400° F.
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Line a baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease it with extra butter.
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Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt then sift into a large mixing bowl.
Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in 180 g of the Cheddar cheese and all of the Parmesan.
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Peel and core the apple then cut into small dice approx. 5 - 8 mm square.
Stir into the flour and cheese mixture.
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Gradually stir in enough of the yogurt or your chosen liquid to start forming a dough that's soft but not wet.
Tip onto a lightly floured worksurface, ideally covered with a silicone mat, and very gently knead into a smooth-ish dough.
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Flatten a little, lightly dust with flour, then roll out to approximately 3 cm thick.
Stamp out scones with a 7 cm cutter, gently bringing together the scraps and re-rolling to make 8 - 9 scones.
Place the scones on the baking tray and sprinkle with the remaining 40 g of grated Cheddar.
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Transfer to the oven and bake until risen and golden (approximately 15 - 20 minutes).
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool slightly.
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Serve warm, split, and spread with butter.
Tip: pulling apart rather than cutting with a knife keeps the fluffy texture inside.
Best eaten within 2 days. If not using straight away, cool completely before storing in an airtight container or freezing.
Can be reheated in a microwave, low oven, or air fryer.
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Lovely recipe, so easy and delicious
Thank you, Pat!