Cranberry Orange Scones

I like scones. They are my favorite item to order with coffee, so it's about time I mastered them for myself instead of spending 1.95 for mass produced breakfast biscuits. Lemon walnut is a close tie so I'll be attempting this one soon.

These scones turned out really well. I found a recipe by Ina Garten (what a funny man, but I love her) and I changed it to suit my style. I liked this one because it had a glaze that wasn't overpowering like some can be. The dough was a little sticky and I was a bit concerned that they wouldn't rise, but they rose beautifully! I haven't had great success with some scone recipes in the past, but this one is worth keeping. I was thinking it might make a good base scone for fruity additions like lemon or blueberry.

Of course they were best the night I made them, but they kept fairly well the next four days we ate them. Oh, scone you make me happy in the morning.

Cranberry Orange Scones

adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network

2 C flour + 1/4 C and more for shaping

2T sugar

1 T baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

1 stick butter diced

2 eggs + 1 yolk + enough milk to make 1 C

1/2 C cranberries

1 egg beaten with 2 T water

glaze

1/2 C powdered sugar

3 tsp fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. In the bowl of a mixer, add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add orange zest and mix well. Add butter cubes and mix until the butter pieces resemble peas (or a little larger). Add eggs and yolk to a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup. I used soy milk because we had some. Using a higher fat milk is good too. Add this mix to the flour mix on medium speed until it just comes together. Add the cranberries and the 1/4 C flour and stir to combine. Plop the dough out onto a well floured surface and shape it into into a 8-9 inch round about 1 inch high. Cut the dough with a sharp knife into 8 pizza wedges. Place all of these onto a baking sheet. Mix the egg and water and brush across the tops of each scone. Place them into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. They should be a lovely shade of golden brown and Ina says firm to the touch.

Wait for them to cool a little on a wire rack and drizzle some glaze on top. Eat them right, hovering over the rack until they are cool enough to handle. They are best this way, otherwise you could be a little more civilized and put them on a plate or serving dish for guests. Serve with coffee or tea (or take them to work with you and eat them at your desk while savoring a morning latte).