Add chopped apples and 1/8 cup of sugar to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat while mixing the rest of the dough. Applease should be removed from heat once soft, before becoming mushy.

Whisk flour, remaining sugar, salt, spices, and baking powder together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream (or buttermilk), the egg, and vanilla extract together.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture (this is done using a pastry blender, hands - my preference, or can be done with a sturdy fork) until the mixture resembles small pebbles.

Drizzle the cream mixture over the flour mixture, then mix together until everything appears moistened.

Remove the apples from the heat if they haven't been yet. Place the dough and apples in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

Remove the apples and the dough from the fridge and fold the apples into the dough.

Place the dough onto the lightly floured counter, with floured hands, work dough into a ball. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry & won't hold together, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. For mini scones, cut each of the 8 wedge pieces in half again OR press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 wedges.

Place scones on a lined baking sheet 2-3 inches apart and refrigerate or freeze for at least 15 minutes (this is important for them to not melt flat while baking). This is also the point in which you can flash freeze your scones and then transfer to a bag to store and bake at a later time.

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

Before baking, brush the scones with heavy cream.

Bake for 18-26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Mini scones take closer to 18-20 minutes while larger scones take closer to 25-26 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. If baking from frozen, the baking time may vary by a couple minutes.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, molasses and milk for the drizzle. Add the milk slowly until you have a thick drizzle consistency. Once slightly cooled, drizzle the scones. Scones will stay fresh on the counter for 1-2 days. Freeze leftovers.