Apple and chocolate chip rye sharing scone

Impress your friends with this fruity fact: Terry’s famous Chocolate Orange began life as an apple. Launched in 1926, the Dessert Chocolate Apple was shaped like its namesake and came segmented for easy sharing. Somewhat disappointingly, it wasn’t actually apple flavoured.

The chocolate apple proved so popular that Terry’s returned to the fruit bowl for inspiration in 1932, when it launched the more exotic Chocolate Orange. I’m very pleased to say that apple and chocolate are flavours that actually work extremely well together. Serve slices of this oversized scone with a splodge of softly whipped cream on the side.

SERVES 8

100g cold unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing

300g plain flour, plus extra

for dusting

75g rye flour

50g caster sugar, plus

2tbsp caster sugar 1½tbsp baking powder ¼tsp fine sea salt

100g dark chocolate chips 1 large egg, lightly beaten 125ml whole milk

80g crème fraîche 2 medium eating apples 1tsp ground cinnamon

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°fan/gas mark 7 and butter a 20cm round springform or loose-bottomed cake tin. Sift both the plain and rye flours into a mixing bowl, adding the rye bran that’s been caught in the sieve back into the bowl. Add the 50g caster sugar, baking powder and sea salt and whisk with a fork to combine.

2 Rub the diced butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer 1tbsp each of the egg and milk to a small bowl or cup and mix well. Set aside.

3 Combine the remaining egg, the crème fraîche and half of the remaining milk together in a small jug or bowl, then stir this into the flour and chocolate mixture. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring just enough to bring everything together.

4 Turn out onto a well-floured worksurface and briefly knead once or twice (don’t press or squeeze, be very gentle) then divide in half. Lightly roll out one half into a 20cm disc. You’ll need to sprinkle the worksurface and the rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. Next, place this disc into the prepared tin.

5 Peel, core and finely slice the apples, then toss with the 2tbsp caster sugar and ground cinnamon. Scatter the apple slices over the dough in the tin. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into another 20cm disc and place on top of the apple. Tuck the edges into the sides of the tin. Brush with the reserved egg and milk mixture and bake for about 25min, or until the top is golden. It’s best served warm and eaten on the day it’s made.