Recipe: Cranberry and Orange Scones

Cranberry and Orange Scones

Life has been a bit busier than usual since Easter. Following a visit to my parents' house for the holiday, I spent a few days working in Asheville, NC, and then came home to celebrate my husband's birthday prior to the weekend. Admittedly, I've not been spending much time in the kitchen. I have, however, been spending a lot of time catching up on laundry. I hope that changes for the better this week. Yet, even when time is sparse, one can (and should) find 30 minutes in their day for making scones.

This recipe for cranberry and orange scones has been in my repertoire for over a decade, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. The tartness from the dried cranberries mixed with orange zest is a beautiful combination for a sweet treat. I love to enjoy these scones fresh out of the oven with my morning cup of coffee, or I'll save one for le goûter (the French equivalent to afternoon tea). That is assuming there’s a scone left to save. A family of five can eat their way through eight scones in one sitting. If this sounds like your house, I might suggest you double the recipe.

These cranberry and orange scones are simply elegant and rustic. Plus, they are quite simple to make! You can mix it all by hand — no tools required. Just be sure to have butter and buttermilk in your refrigerator. Both ingredients are critical for producing those mouthwatering layers of biscuit.

I hope you enjoy them!

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Cranberry and Orange Scones

Yield: 8

Author: Julia Darling

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (I use the zest from 1 whole orange)
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk (for the topping)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for the topping)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and orange zest.
2. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss to coat the butter with flour. Using your hands or a pastry blender, break up the butter into small pieces (about the size of peas).
3. Add buttermilk and dried cranberries, stirring just until moistened. If there is still some dry flour mixture in the bottom of the bowl, add a few more drops of buttermilk to incorporate it into the dough.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges, and place 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk, and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on top.
6. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until scones are golden brown.