Cranberry and Orange Scones

Ingredients
For Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
zest from 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup frozen cranberries1
optional: 1 Tablespoon heavy cream and coarse sugar

For Orange Glaze:
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
2-3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) fresh orange juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and zest. Grate the frozen butter (I use a box grater; a food processor also works – here is the one I own and love). Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla together. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened. Slowly and gently fold in the cranberries. Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. Dough will be a little wet. Work the dough into a ball with floured hands as best you can and transfer to a floured surface. Press into a neat 8″ disc and cut into 8 equal wedges with a very sharp knife. Place scones at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush scones with optional 1 Tbsp cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (Makes them shiny and gives a little extra crunch!)

 

martini-and-rossi-astiBake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes as you make the glaze.

For the glaze, simply whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together. Add a little more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more juice to thin. Drizzle over scones.

Make ahead tip: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 extra days. Unglazed scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then heat up to your liking before glazing and enjoying.

Additional Notes:
I prefer to use frozen cranberries because they keep the scone dough super cold. Fresh or even dried works too. Same amount.

I prefer fresh orange juice. You’ll have an orange anyway– the one you zested for the scone dough! Store-bought OJ works too, of course.

Pairing
Try pairing this recipe with a sweet sparkling wine such as, Martini & Rossi Asti.