Cranberry Orange Scones

Tags

cranberry orange scone, cranberry scone, orange scone, orange sugar, orange zest sugar, yogurt scone

One of the things that I bake a lot of when we have friends come to visit or if we are back “home” visiting family, is scones.

By the dozens!

Oven-full after oven-full of scones!

Any scone imagineable!

For every taste!

I worked my way through an inordinate amount of flour, butter and yogurt on these occasions but it goes to a good cause!

The first batch I baked this time for my mother-in-law was cranberry orange scones. I just made a single batch of these and made sure to make orange zest sugar to bring out the orange flavor as much as possible and it made for some very smile inducing scones, brightening our snowy morning! You can make any type of zesty sugar you like, simply rub the zest into the sugar with your hands until the sugar is moist and you can smell the zest coming off of the sugar. It really enhances any baked good that you are adding zest to and an extra step I use or incorporate into any recipe with zest!

This one was a hit with all the kids, leaving no chance to put an orange glaze on them as I had planned – this one is sure to please everyone at your breakfast table too!!

Ingredients: 

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 TBS sugar
• 1/2 C (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1-2 C dried cranberries
• zest of one orange
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 C yogurt
• turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a small bowl, zest the orange over the sugar then rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist, orange-tinted and smelling sweetly of oranges. Whisk the sugar into the flour mixture just until combined. Knead in the butter, using your fingertips until it is well incorporated and the mixture starts to clump together to form pea-sized lumps. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and (2) eggs until combined. Then sprinkle it into the flour mixture and toss together using a fork. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat and knead until it just comes together, handling the dough as little as possible. Form two 6 inch rounds on dinner plates and cut into 6-8 triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter and place on cookie sheets. Brush the tops with the beaten eggs and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes and serve warm or enjoy later!

Pumpkin Scones, Of Course!

Tags

buttery maple glaze, pumpkin scone, pumpkin scone with buttery maple glaze, pumpkin scone with maple glaze, scone

I am always baking scones.

Actually, I’m in LOVE with scones!

I can’t get enough of them.

There are so many possibilities and they are so simple to whip up that I do it mindlessly and without a recipe. It’s kitchen therapy for sure.

So in planning all of my October pumpkin recipe madness, we wouldn’t leave out the humble scone! Here it is! I chose to put a buttery, maple glaze on it because it just sounded so perfect, and really the pumpkin taste was a bit muted so I think I would double the pumpkin puree in it and amp up the spices another half a teaspoon… but all that aside? These were pretty darn great!

Ingredients for scones:

• 2 C flour
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3/4 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 C pumpkin puree
• 1/3 C + 1 TBS heavy cream
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp turbinado sugar (optional for the topping… if you aren’t using glaze)

Preheat the oven to 425F/170C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, working it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with bits no larger than peas form.

Blend the egg, pumpkin and cream in a small bowl and then add it to the dry ingredients, tossing it with forks until just combined.

Transfer the shaggy dough to a floured surface and knead a few times, then pat it into a circle and cut it into wedges. I like to use a pizza cutter.

Lightly brush the tops with a tablespoon or two of heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, or just bake and apply the glaze after the scones have cooled. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden then cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the buttery maple glaze:

• 2 TBS unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 C powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 TBS maple syrup

Mix the butter and sugar with a whisk until smooth and creamy then beat in the maple syrup until completely incorporated then drizzle onto the scones.