Hot cross apple scones

Name: Hot cross apple scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 400 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 tsp baking powder; 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 1 tsp ground mixed spice; 85 g light brown muscovado sugar; 2 small Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces; 100 g Waitrose Sweet & Tangy Fruit Mix (dried); 1 orange zested, and 1 tbsp juice; 200 ml semi skimmed milk; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg, beaten

Quicker to make than a yeasted hot cross bun but with all of the fruit and spice, these are just the thing for Easter tea.

4 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

Source of calcium

Makes16
CourseSnack
Prepare20 mins
Cook12 mins
Total time32 mins
Pluscooling

Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

400g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tsp ground mixed spice
85g light brown muscovado sugar
2 small Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
100g Waitrose Sweet & Tangy Fruit Mix (dried)
1 orange zested, and 1 tbsp juice
200ml semi skimmed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg, beaten

For the crosses and to decorate:

85g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7 and heat a baking sheet in the top third of the oven. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl with ½ tsp salt. Rub in the butter until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the spice, sugar, apples, dried fruit and orange zest.
Warm the milk to room temperature then stir in the orange juice and vanilla plus 2 tbsp beaten egg. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients to make a rough, sticky dough — stirring quickly with a round-bladed knife as you pour will keep the scones light.
Flour a clean work surface, tip the dough onto it then flour the dough and your hands. Gently knead a few times until a little smoother, then pat into a round about 3cm thick. Dust with more flour, then stamp out 6cm rounds using a straight-sided cutter. Pat together the leftovers and repeat to make 16 scones.
To make the crosses, stir 6–7 tbsp cold water into the plain flour to make a smooth paste. This will loosen as it sits, so don’t be tempted to add too much water. Spoon into a food bag or disposable piping bag and snip off the end at about 5mm.
Sprinkle the hot baking sheet with flour, then add the scones. Pipe crosses over the tops (see Cook's Tip below) then bake for 12 minutes or until risen, golden and they sound hollow when tapped underneath. Stir 1 tsp boiling water into the golden syrup to make a glaze, then brush over the scones and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Cook’s tip

The quickest way to get all of the scones piped with crosses is to line them up on the baking tray, pipe down then across all the rows. If any of the paste stays joined up between some of the scones, just snip it with kitchen scissors.

Typical values per item when made using specific products in recipe