Apple buttermilk scone round

I've had a baking-intense weekend. I made a focaccia, the pastry dough for a rhubarb tart we had on monday evening and the apple buttermilk scone round pictured above, the week 19 contribution to the 2007 challenge. It's from Linda Collister's Morning Bakes (if you only buy one of her books, make it this one, each and every one of the recipes are of the so-mouthwatering-I-want-to-make-it-now kind) and true to the author's word, these scones could easily be assembled in the morning before breakfast, I was done within 45 minutes, baking included. The scones are moist due to the apples and not overly sweet. We tried them warm for afternoon tea and then spread with butter and honey for sunday breakfast - very nice indeed, both ways.

Apple buttermilk scone round (makes 8 large wedges)
Recipe according to Linda Collister's Morning Bakes

• 1 large cooking apple or 1-2 crisp tart eating apples (about 250g)
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 80g wholemeal flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 75g demerara sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 75g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• about 140ml buttermilk, plus extra for brushing or milk for brushing

• one large baking sheet, greased
  

Peel, core and coarsely chop the apple into 1-cm chunks. Mix the flours, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a food processor. Add the chilled cubes of butter and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. With the machine running, add the buttermilk through the feed tube to make a soft but not sticky dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead in the apple chunks to form a corase and bumpy dough. Shape into a ball and put in the midle of the prepared baking sheet. With floured fingers, pat into a 22-cm round. Brush lightly with buttermilk or milk to glaze, then sprinkle with a little demerara sugar to give a crunchy surface. Using a sharp knife, score the round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated oven at 220° for for about 20-25 mintes until lightly golden and firm to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack. Eat warm, immediately or within 24 hours. The scones are also good split and toasted. When thoroughly cooled, they can be wrapped then frozen for up to 1 month.