Cranberry Coffeecake Scones

I'm a fan of coffeecake, and so when I came across this recipe, it sounded like something that must be tried. Immediately. Good thing I can send the excess to work with the hubby...

Ingredients:

Scones:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large eggs
1/4-1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed, drained frozen cranberries

Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment papers.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

3. Add the butter to the bowl and, using a pastry cutter or a fork, work into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

4. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla, and lemon peel. Whisk lightly to combine.

5. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough should be sticky. If it does not come together after several stirs, add milk in small increments until you have a sticky dough.

6. Add the cranberries and gently knead into the dough until evenly mixed.

7. Turn out the dough onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, flatten into an 11-inch round.

8. Prepare the scone topping in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, stir to mix. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and, using the same technique as above, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

9. Spread the topping mixture onto the round dough. Press the topping lightly into the dough and, with a serrated knife, score the round to make 8 scones.

10. Bake at 375F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake taster comes out clean and the scones are lightly browned on the edges.

11. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for about 15 minutes. Then recut the scones if necessary and, with a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. 

12. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container. 

Nutrition Info:
414 kC
18.8 g fat
49.9 g carbs
18.6 g sugar
6.1 g protein

Results:

Like coffeecake, these are definitely a dessert. If you can handle coffeecake for a sweet breakfast, then these scones are for you. The fresh cranberries offer a tang to an otherwise sweet scone.