I’ve been searching for a “perfect scone.” After trying numerous recipes, I’ve concluded that there is no single “perfect scone.” There are a number of them! I discovered this delicious recipe on Nicole’s blog, Pinch My Salt. She has come up with a streamlined recipe for these little treats. Freshly baked scones in under 30 minutes? With that thought in mind, I’ll be making them very often.
Dried cranberries, sweet and tart, are perfect in this recipe. Sometimes I swap out the cranberries for dried, tart cherries.
The dough is quite sticky so be sure to flour the countertop and your hands. Handle the dough as little as possible for tender scones.
Cranberry Scones
Adapted from Nicole’s recipe
Makes 10 – 12 medium scones
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
scant 1/2 cup half and half (I used Organic Valley lactose free half and half)
zest of 1 orange, divided
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter (cut into small pieces and well chilled)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Glaze
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (reserved from above)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt , and sugar.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, half and half, and most of the orange zest (reserving 1/2 teaspoon for glaze). Set aside.
Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Alternatively, you may use two butter knives or rub cold butter pieces into the flour with your fingertips. Stir in the chopped cranberries.
Add egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once and stir until the mixture clumps together. Dump mixture onto a floured countertop and, with floured hands, gather into a ball and knead once or twice to combine everything. The dough will be quite sticky. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the counter and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking (not too much or the dough will be dry). Pat dough into a circle about 3/4 – 1 inch thick. Cut 10 – 12 circles using a 2 1/2 – 3 inch biscuit cutter. Arrange scones on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12 – 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
While scones are cooling, make the glaze. Combine sifted powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons orange juice and the reserved orange zest. Whisk until smooth, adding more orange juice or powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency. Glaze scones using a small silicone pastry brush or dip scones directly into the glaze.
The scones freeze beautifully so go ahead and make a double batch.