A scone is one of those food that I wasn’t sure at first whether I loved or I hated. The first scone that I tasted was a blueberry scone. It was hard as a rock, and the blueberries tasted sour. I didn’t know how in the world the owner of the house could have served those kinds of scones to visitors. I had a bit of a traumatic experience with scones there.
For a while, I wasn’t fond of eating one again. Our friend Brenda Score from The Pioneer Woman has this to say about this recipe:
“I’ve only become a lover of scones later on in my life. I never grew up with them. And my first experiences in eating them were dry and crumbly, nearly tasteless. I just didn’t understand the infatuation that some people had with scones.”
I agree with you, Brenda. I just came to love them when I tasted the version that catered to my taste. This recipe is one of them. These scones are to die for. Now where’s my cream cheese?
Ingredients
FOR THE SCONES:
1/2 cup Cold Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter
1 cup Gold Medal All-purpose Flour
1 cup Gold Medal White Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Clabber Girl Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Domino Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Cinnamon
2 Large Oranges, Zested
1/2 cup Borden Buttermilk
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Large Eggland’s Egg, Lightly Beaten
2/3 cups Paradise Meadow Dried Cranberries
FOR THE GLAZE:
2 cups Domino Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Large Orange, Zested
2 teaspoons McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Nutmeg
Instructions
For the cranberry orange scones:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut the butter into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sized pieces, place it in a covered bowl, and let chill in the freezer for 5–10 minutes while mixing the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest, breaking up any clumps of zest. With a rigid pastry blender or two knives, cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces. Make a well in the center, and then add buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix. Gently fold in cranberries, just until barely combined. Try to work rather quickly, so the butter in the dough stays as cold as possible. If the dough gets too warm, the scones will lose their shape more easily in the oven and have a more relaxed appearance with less defined edges.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, knead the dough gently two or three times to bring it all together. Do not over work the dough. Just make sure the dough is sticking together nicely. Pat dough into a 7-inch diameter circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Bake until scones are puffed and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let scones sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
For the orange nutmeg glaze:
While scones are still just slightly warm, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of freshly squeezed orange juice. Drizzle the orange nutmeg glaze over the scones using a spoon, as much as you desire. Allow icing to set completely, then serve.
USE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW.
Quick Tip: Add more nutmeg if you’re a fan.
Thanks again to The Pioneer Woman for this amazing recipe.