This is not a "healthified" recipe. It is, however, a good one. I have a healthier version I will share another day (when I get back on the healthier-only wagon). But these taste better. And it is the holiday season, which means I am reveling in butter and sugar filled glory.
It took several tries for me to get scones right, and now that I have it down, I am passing my findings on to you. Scones are incredibly easy to make once you know the trick, and are awesome hot out of the oven.
Want to know the other awesome thing about scones? They freeze perfectly. I always make the dough then put them straight into the freezer. Once frozen, I keep them in a zip lock bag, then pop them straight from the freezer into the oven whenever I have a hankering. Suckers think I was baking all morning.
This is my favorite flavor combo, but this recipe is easily adaptable to other flavors (blueberry, lemon, chocolate chip, ginger peach, and on and on).
Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Scones
Makes 12
3 cups plus 2 TB flour
1/3 cup plus 2 TB sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 TB orange zest (from 1-2 oranges)
1 1/2 (3/4 cup) sticks butter, cold
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup cold buttermilk (or sub with 1 cup milk mixed with 1 TB apple cider vinegar)
turbinado sugar for topping, if desired
1. Roughly chop the cranberries and toss with the 2 TB flour and the 2 TB sugar. Set aside.
2. Cut your butter into chunks and put onto a plate. You are going to want this really really cold, so what I do is put the plate of butter in the freezer while I do the next steps. Then I take it out right before I am ready to add it.
3. In a food processor fitted with the regular blade, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and orange zest. Pulse briefly to blend. If you don't have a food processor, just do this step in a large bowl.
4. Add the cold butter chunks, and pulse in short spurts until the mixture resembles pea gravel or coarse corn meal. Do not over mix! Place mixture in a large bowl. If you are not using a food processor, then use your fingers to break up the butter pieces and rub the flour into the butter until you get the coarse meal texture. Again, do not over mix or let the butter get too warm. This should not be "doughy" at all. More like coarse flour.
5. Stir in the cranberries. Lastly, add the buttermilk, barely barely barely mixing it in...you seriously barely want to combine this. The less you touch this, the flakier and fluffier your scones will be. Knead once or twice and turn dough out onto a floured surface, using your hands to shape into a rectangle (about 8x10"). Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar, if desired. Use a knife to cut dough into 12 triangles. At this point you can freeze these and bake them whenever. Or you can go ahead and bake them.
6. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or cooking spray at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
This is not a "healthified" recipe. It is, however, a good one. I have a healthier version I will share another day (when I get back on the healthier-only wagon). But these taste better. And it is the holiday season, which means I am reveling in butter and sugar filled glory.
It took several tries for me to get scones right, and now that I have it down, I am passing my findings on to you. Scones are incredibly easy to make once you know the trick, and are awesome hot out of the oven.
Want to know the other awesome thing about scones? They freeze perfectly. I always make the dough then put them straight into the freezer. Once frozen, I keep them in a zip lock bag, then pop them straight from the freezer into the oven whenever I have a hankering. Suckers think I was baking all morning.
This is my favorite flavor combo, but this recipe is easily adaptable to other flavors (blueberry, lemon, chocolate chip, ginger peach, and on and on).
Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Scones
Makes 12
3 cups plus 2 TB flour
1/3 cup plus 2 TB sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 TB orange zest (from 1-2 oranges)
1 1/2 (3/4 cup) sticks butter, cold
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup cold buttermilk (or sub with 1 cup milk mixed with 1 TB apple cider vinegar)
turbinado sugar for topping, if desired
1. Roughly chop the cranberries and toss with the 2 TB flour and the 2 TB sugar. Set aside.
2. Cut your butter into chunks and put onto a plate. You are going to want this really really cold, so what I do is put the plate of butter in the freezer while I do the next steps. Then I take it out right before I am ready to add it.
3. In a food processor fitted with the regular blade, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and orange zest. Pulse briefly to blend. If you don't have a food processor, just do this step in a large bowl.
4. Add the cold butter chunks, and pulse in short spurts until the mixture resembles pea gravel or coarse corn meal. Do not over mix! Place mixture in a large bowl. If you are not using a food processor, then use your fingers to break up the butter pieces and rub the flour into the butter until you get the coarse meal texture. Again, do not over mix or let the butter get too warm. This should not be "doughy" at all. More like coarse flour.
5. Stir in the cranberries. Lastly, add the buttermilk, barely barely barely mixing it in...you seriously barely want to combine this. The less you touch this, the flakier and fluffier your scones will be. Knead once or twice and turn dough out onto a floured surface, using your hands to shape into a rectangle (about 8x10"). Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar, if desired. Use a knife to cut dough into 12 triangles. At this point you can freeze these and bake them whenever. Or you can go ahead and bake them.
6. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or cooking spray at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
You have a healthier version of these scones? Can you please post or email me? :-)
ReplyDelete