Thursday 3 May 2012

Orange and Cranberry Scones



Scones make me happy.  Served warm, with some good butter and a cup of tea, they make a pleasant start to my day or afford me a welcome reason to slow down and take a mid-afternoon break.  They are quick and easy to make, and the return for taking the time to make them yourself is a finished product far better than you can find in any bakery.

I make many of my scones by starting with a basic recipe and varying it through the fruits and spices I mix in.  This orange and cranberry scone is a case in point:  I had oranges in the fruit bowl and cranberries in the freezer so I combined them into the batter.  My recipe calls for  buttermilk but, since I was using the juice from the orange, I simply topped it up to the required measurement with regular milk instead.

It’s always nice to serve scones that are nicely browned, and nicer still if they have a crisp sugary crust on top.  Brushing the scones with milk just before they go into the oven and then finishing them with a generous sprinkling of sugar adds inordinately to their quality and presentation.

To make Orange and Cranberry Scones, you’ll need:



  • 1 large navel orange
  • 3/4 cup chopped cranberries, either fresh or frozen (If you’re using frozen berries, chop them while still frozen, in your food processor.  It’s a noisy process but thawing the cranberries before incorporating them can make the batter too wet.)
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling on top of the scones
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
  • Enough milk to make 1 cup when added to the juice from the orange, plus a little more for brushing on top of the scones
Grate the zest from the orange and set it aside, then squeeze as much juice as you can from the orange, into a 1-cup measure.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined.  Cut in the butter until it’s broken down into pieces a little larger than a pea. 


Add in the orange zest and cranberries.  Toss the dry ingredients to distribute them throughout.

Top up the orange juice with enough milk to make one cup.  Mix it into the dry ingredients to make a crumbly dough.  Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead it until it holds together.


Press or roll the dough out to 1-inch thick and cut it into scones.  (I just cut simple rectangles this time but if you’re making these for company you may want to use a shaped cutter.)  Put the cut scones on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush the top of each scone with a little milk and then sprinkle each one with a generous amount of sugar.


Bake the scones in a pre-heated 400ºF oven for about 15 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers set. 




Scones are best served warm.  You can store the leftovers in an airtight container for a day or two, or put them in the freezer. 
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This post is linked to Gallery of Favorites hosted by Premeditated Leftovers and The 21st Century Housewife,  the Pity Party at Thirty Handmade DaysThink Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo ToesChurch Supper hosted by Everyday Mom's MealsMakin' You Crave Monday hosted by The Happy Homemaker,  Scruptious Sundays hosted by Addicted to Recipes, to Tip Me Tuesday hosted by Tip Junkie, to Delicious Dish Tuesday hosted by Full Time Mama, Mama Chocolate and Coping with Frugality, to Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, to the first ever Wednesday Link Party at Printabelle, to Unveil Your Genius hosted by Goings On in Texas, to Wednesday Whatsits hosted by White Lights on Wednesday, to Link it Up Wednesday hosted by Junk in their Trunk, to Link it Up Thursday hosted by Seven Alive, and to Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Gallery of Favorites    

Everyday Mom's Meals   Mrs Happy Homemaker   Addicted to Recipes Button, Page button

Tip Junkie handmade projects   Coping With Frugality   Printabelle Link Party

Cast Party Wednesday   Unveil Your Genius Link Party
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   Seven Alive{Junk in their Trunk}
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Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

19 comments:

cgammeter said...

Hi Aunt B, I'm Connie at http://hotflashncraftn.blogspot.com/, a new GFC friend. I would love it if you stop by and be mine, too.
Scones make me happy too. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Aunt B said...

Welcome Connie, and thank you for stopping by. I've popped in to visit your page and see that you and I have quite a bit in common! I'm looking forward to following your posts.

Krista said...

Well, now all I need is a cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & see you next Sunday ~EMM

Aunt B said...

I have a pot on the warmer right now. Come on by! ;)

Thanks for hosting. Lots of good links this week. :)

April J Harris said...

I love the combination of cranberry and orange, and it would be perfect in a scone! Yours look like a real treat, especially with a nice hot cup of tea.

Printabelle said...

Oh those look soo good! I'd love for you to add it on my link party at: http://printabelle.com/?p=3188 Thanks!

Aunt B said...

That's exactly how I enjoyed them April; with a nice hot cup of tea. :)

Aunt B said...

Thank you for the invitation. Congratulations on your first linky party. :)

Aunt B said...

I enjoyed your post very much and I appreciate you stopping by for a visit. :)

Miz Helen said...

Hi Aunt B,
I just love scones and your Orange and Cranberry Scones look delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
A New Follower

JoAnn SweetPepperRose said...

These look incredibly delicious! Adding to my recipes folder :)
New follower to you. I invite you to follow me back :)
JoAnn
sweetpepperrose.blogspot.com

Aunt B said...

Thank you for hosting Miz Helen. I certainly found some delicious recipes at your party! Thanks for following my blog too. I love it when people join the conversation. :)

Aunt B said...

Thank you JoAnn, and welcome. :) I enjoyed your Mother's Day post. I'm looking forward to following your blog.

Alesha @ Full Time Mama said...

YUMMY! This looks so good! I've never made scones before. I'll definitely have to try this!
Thanks so much for linking up!! :)

Aunt B said...

Thank you for hosting. I appreciate the opportunity to share my recipes. I'm glad this one inspired you to give baking scones a try. :)

Little City Farm said...

These look so yummy. Nice tip with the milk and sugar on top to add that little extra. Thanks for sharing them at our party this week.

Aunt B said...

Thanks for hosting Terry. I enjoyed a lot of the links at your party. :)

Taylor @ Pink Heels Pink Truck said...

I featured your yummy scones at my Unveil Your Genius link party. I hope you'll link up again soon!
http://taylornorris.blogspot.com/2012/05/unveil-your-genius-link-party-11.html

Aunt B said...

Thanks Taylor. I'm honoured! :)