Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add the to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is coarse and crumbly with no pieces of butter left larger than pea sized.

Add to this mixture the chopped apple, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Stir until the liquids are completely incorporated and the mixture begins to come together into a dough.

 Lightly sprinkle flour onto the counter and turn the dough out, kneading it lightly a couple times. Shape the dough into a 9 inch round and place on the baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Separate the scones slightly. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until the scones are golden brown on top. Remove to a wire rack to cool and place the lined baking tray under the cooling rack. (This will catch the caramel drips later.)

To prepare the caramel glaze, heat the sugar, butter, and milk  in a small saucepan until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute and then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow the glaze to sit for a few minutes to cool and thicken up. 

Once the scones have cooled and the glaze is cool enough that it won't burn you, drizzle the glaze over the tops of the scones.