Cranberry Orange Scones
photo by TapestryThreads
- Ready In:
- 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Yields:
-
24 scones
- Serves:
- 24
ingredients
- 5 cups flour (white, whole wheat, or a combination)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 3⁄4 cup sugar (white or demerara)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1⁄4 cups butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
directions
- Optional: Soak cranberries in the orange juice to plump them while you make the dough, for a few minutes, a few hours, or overnight before starting the recipe.
- Mix dry ingredients together, then cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in orange juice and cranberries. Mix lightly until dough comes together. If it seems too dry, add more orange juice, but just one spoonful at a time. Texture should be like biscuit dough. Don't overmix.
- Dump the dough out on an oiled or floured surface. Oil or flour your hands, pat the dough together, then divide into four balls.
- Place each ball on an ungreased cookie sheet (or use a little cooking spray, just on the spots where you place the dough), then smooth and flatten each one to a 6-inch round about 1 inch thick.
- Sprinkle rounds with sugar if desired (it makes the tops sparkly--I use demerara sugar if I have it). Using an oiled knife, cut each round into 6 wedges.
- Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on pan for a few minutes, then use a small serrated knife to separate the scones and transfer them to a rack or cloth-lined basket.
- You can also make drop scones by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet. (I like to use an ice cream scoop--the kind that will push the dough out. It makes them round and consistently sized.) These don't bake so long (maybe 15 minutes), so watch them closely.
- I have normally made these in a heavy-duty mixer (Bosch), and when I had to make them by hand, it was much more challenging to avoid over-mixing while getting enough liquid incorporated. The finished texture was quite different. I had to bake them longer because they were doughy in the middle, and then they got too brown. So perhaps if you don't have a mixer, you should pat them thinner (maybe 3/4 inch) and add a little more baking powder to help the rise.
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Reviews
-
I made these today, and they are delicious. I added about 1/4 cup extra orange juice, and it turned out to be too much--the scones spread more than I wanted them to. I used a 2-inch biscuit cutter to make rounds, and I ended up with 19 scones that took about 18-20 minutes to bake. The texture and flavor are just perfect--unlike the dry ones you often get at coffee shops. Post some more recipes, TapestryThreads!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I've been baking since I was six years old...but I rarely go beyond the basics. I love recipes that are easy, predictable, and delicious! When I'm tired or a bit down, baking relaxes me and cheers me up. Since I'm maintaining a substantial weight loss (or trying to, anyway!), I can't put too many temptations before myself, so I try to do it when there are people around to enjoy the results. I love baking people happy!</p>