Fresh Cranberry-Orange Scones

Orange and cranberry complement each other in many recipes. This one is no different. The crispness of the orange goes well with the tartness of fresh cranberries, creating a wholly refreshing scone. 

Source: Simply Scones by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chopped
2 large eggs
2-4 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated orange peel

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

2. Stir together 2 tbsp of sugar and cranberries and sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl stir the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

4. With a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mix until it resembles coarse sand. Some pebbles of butter are okay.

5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, 2 tbsp orange juice and orange peel.

6. Add the egg mixture to the dry mix and stir to mix. The dough should be sticky. If it is not, add more orange juice in small increments.

7. Lightly flour your hands and gently knead the cranberries into the dough.

8. With lightly floured hands, flatten the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and cut into eighths with a serrated knife.

9. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden on top. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, recutting the scones if necessary.

10. cool for 5 minutes, then serve either warm or cool.

Serves: 8

The Process:

I used dried orange peel in this recipe because I didn't have a fresh orange to zest, but it turned out well.

This recipe calls for the cranberries to be soaked in 2 tbsp of sugar for 5 minutes.

Only add the cranberries after you've already mixed the dough.
Make sure that your dough is sticky and wet.

Don't squish the cranberries in too hard, or they will bleed into the dough.

Cut the scones, but don't separate them. If you need to recut them when they're cooked, do so then.

Results:

The cranberry and orange flavor is refreshing and light. These are great morning scones to serve as breakfast.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Honestly, this picture does not do these scones justice.
Too bad I ate them all and can't take another...

Um...there are no words to describe how delectable these were. And I'm absolutely certain it has something to do with the 10 tablespoons of butter it calls for... 

At least the buttermilk was low fat...

So, let's just say, while these aren't healthy scones, they are delicious. Okay, beyond delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. I could eat the whole recipe, warm out of the oven. Flaky, buttery...warm... I'm drooling. Seriously.


Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1.2 tsp baking soda
Grated zest of 1 orange
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 cup cold buttermilk
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest. Add the butter and blend into a sandy texture with a pastry blender or fingertips.

3. Add the apricots and cranberries and mix. Add the buttermilk and stir until just mixed (may be a little dry).

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead a couple of times to mix. Press into a rectangle and fold like an envelope, first folding up the bottom, then folding down the top to create a long, narrow rectangle. Press out into a longer rectangle until the dough is even and approximately 1 inch high. With a knife or bench scraper, cut into eight pieces.

5. Place on a parchment-paper lined sheet and arrange the scones approximately two inches from one another. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden on top.

Makes 8 large scones.


The Process:

Dried Cranberries, Unsalted Butter, All Purpose Flour,
Granulated Sugar, Orange Zest, Baking Soda,
Dried Apricots, Salt, Baking Powder, Buttermilk 

The consistency of the dough when mixed (not kneaded).

Flattened into a log, about 1 inch high. Then slice into half , and slice each half into a half to cut the log into quarters.
Then cut each quarter into half diagonally.

Scones sliced and on the tray, ready to bake.

Fresh out of the oven.

Flaky. Buttery. Succulent. Luscious. Melt-in-your-mouth...

Results:

In case my introduction didn't quite get the point across, these were fantastic. Of course, not the healthiest choice, but when you're talking scones, who's concerned about healthy?

Definitely repeatable, these may become a new favorite in my house. The orange zest gives just enough flavor to create a hint of orange without being overpowering. The apricots I could have done without, these were more distracting from the rest of the flavor anyways, and I'm not a huge fan of dried apricots. Next time, I'll try these scones without apricots. 

And there will be a next time. 

I guarantee it.