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. 
___________________________________________
This post is linked to Gallery of Favorites hosted by Premeditated Leftovers and The 21st Century Housewife,  the Pity Party at Thirty Handmade Days, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes,  Church Supper hosted by Everyday Mom's Meals,  Makin' 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.

   

   

   

  

.

  

.