Cranberry-Orange Scones

After some much needed encouragement from my friend, RAWkash (check out his blog, Phot(o)graphy for the Masses), I finally sat down and typed up some recipes from my recent baking classes.  The first of these recipes are for Basic Cream Scones, which I modified to create Cranberry-Orange Scones.  These scones are so simple to make, you can throw them together and have a finished product in 30 minutes.  The light, citrus flavor of the scone comes from the zest of an orange and compliments the flavor of the cranberries.  The glaze is optional, but it helps keep the scones moist after they have cooled and adds an extra burst of orange flavor.  I prefer eating scones when they are warm and fresh from the oven, and these scones reheat well.   

Cranberry-Orange Scones Recipe

Yield: 6 scones

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. bread flour
• 2 oz. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 4 oz. dried cranberries
• 6 oz. cream
• 1 orange
• ½ cup powdered sugar (for glaze)

Preheat oven to 425°F.  

Using a microplane, grate the zest of an orange, making sure to get only the outer, bright orange layer as shown below (the white pith is bitter, while the outer, orange layer contains the essential orange oil).  

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix in the cranberries and about ¾ of the orange zest (if omitting the orange glaze, add all of the orange zest).  

Stir in the cream until the dough just begins to form.  Do not over-mix.  It may be easier to mix ingredients together with your hands at the end.  Quickly knead together until dough forms a ball and then shape into a disk about 1 to 1½ inch thick.  Cut into 6 pieces (like a pie or cake) and brush each piece with additional cream.  

Place the scones on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until scones are golden brown, as shown below.  Cool scones on a wire rack over parchment paper.  

Orange Glaze: While the scones are baking, combine ½ cup powdered sugar and the remaining orange zest.  Squeeze the juice from the orange in a separate container.  Whisk in small amounts of orange juice with the powdered sugar and orange zest until the glaze reaches the desired consistency.  The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle, but should not be watery.  You can play with the orange juice and powdered sugar ratio until the glaze is the proper consistency.  When the glaze is placed on the hot scones, it will thin down, so it is better to have the glaze on the thick side rather than on the thin side. 

While the scones are still hot, spread about a spoonful of glaze over the top of each scone, letting the glaze drip down the sides onto the parchment paper.  Serve scones warm or store in an airtight container once they have cooled.