Fiction-Food Café: Apple Cheddar Scone-Muffins

(Recipe originally published December 2014 for Fiction Kitchen Podcast Episode 4.)

There isn't much food mentioned specifically/by name in Austen's Pride & Prejudice outside of white soup, but muffins do make an appearance. I'm a little embarrassed to say that when I think of Britain and food, scones immediately come to mind, so I thought I'd combine the two and came up with scone-muffins! It's a scone recipe that I love and have been using for years, adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adjusted here to make scrumptious little muffins perfect for breakfast or teatime. The combination of sour apples and sharp cheese is a good allusion, I think, to the themes of the book. ;)

Apple Cheddar Scone-Muffins

1 Large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, & cut into ~1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. Butter, chilled & diced
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Pinch of Salt
Turbinado Sugar (a.k.a. Raw Sugar)

Heat your oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper & spread the apple pieces onto it in a single layer (do your best to make sure the pieces don't touch). Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven & transfer the parchment with the apples into the freezer for a few minutes to cool.

Lower the oven to 350ºF. Butter & sugar a muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, & baking powder. Cut in the butter (using a pastry blender works best) until the mixture is crumbly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream & 1 egg & then pour into the flour/butter mixture. Add the apples & shredded cheese & stir until everything comes together & is only a little bit crumbly. Ball the dough together in your hands.

Break off palm-sized portions of dough, roll slightly, & then gently press into the muffin tin. If you have any empty cups (I ended up with 2) put a little water in them. Whisk the remaining egg with the pinch of salt & brush lightly onto the tops of the muffins. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar & if you'd like, gently press the tops with a small heart cookie cutter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are a light golden brown. Remove from oven & use a butter knife around the edges to loosen the muffins& then place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve with tea or coffee.