Cranberry Apple Scones with Hazelnut Caramel Cream

Daddy has definitely kept my sister and me in fresh produce this summer. First it was cucumbers and squash. Then came the green beans and okra. Then it was blueberries and Purple Hull peas, and now it's time for apples. I decided to play around with my basic scone recipe by adding cranberries and apples.

While the scones baked, I decided I wanted to have some sort of accompaniment, but no jam or jelly seemed right, lemon curd didn't seem right, and then I looked in the fridge and spotted the (low-fat!) Caramel Apple Dip I bought to go with the apples. Hmm. A little tinkering and I think I've come up with something rather yummy in this Hazelnut Caramel Cream. If you have apples coming in at your house, you might give the scones and/or the cream a try!

Cranberry Apple Scones

1 cup all purpose-flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 small apples, peeled, cored and diced fine
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a scone pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder and baking soda. Add the butter and combine using a pastry blender until the mixture consists of pea-sized crumbs. Stir in cranberries and apples. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until blended. If mixture is too stiff, you may want to add another tablespoon or so of milk. Spoon batter into pan and bake for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Yields 8 large scones.

Hazelnut Caramel Cream

2 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons prepared caramel dip
2 tablespoons hazelnuts

Soften cream cheese and caramel dip in microwave for a few seconds, then add nuts and combine well. Serve with Cranberry Apple Scones.