Cranberry Orange Scones

I’ve had a great scone recipe that I’ve used for years. I have used it to make blueberry scones and bacon cheddar scones, but I’m still always tweaking it here and there with the belief that I can always make something better…well, not always but in this case I did.

The recipe I originally created used heavy cream. Then I tried buttermilk and yogurt which still makes a great product if you use a full fat Greek style yogurt. I recently started using sour cream instead of buttermilk and found that the flakiness, moistness and overall texture of the final product is so much better. I got the idea to use sour cream from a delicious rugelach short pastry dough that I am experimenting with. I was impressed with the flakiness of the dough, so I dared to try it and I’m glad that I did.

The cool weather this morning begged for something warm with my morning coffee. I created these scones for a friend who stops by regularly for coffee on the weekends and just loves that flavor combination. Make a huge batch of assorted flavors when you have the time and keep them frozen until you are ready to bake. They bake beautifully right out of the freezer and make a great item to serve unexpected guests.

Cranberry Orange Scones

4 oz cold butter

15oz flour (about 2 ½ cups)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

4.5 oz granulated sugar (about ¾ cup)

4 oz eggs (2 large eggs plus 1 tablespoon or 2 jumbo eggs)

2 teaspoons orange extract

1 tablespoon orange zest

5 oz sour cream (about ¾ cup)

4 oz dried cranberries (1 cup)

Egg wash (1 beaten egg)

Coarse sugar to sprinkle**optional

Add the cold butter, flour and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer and using the paddle attachment begin incorporating the butter into the dry ingredients. After a few minutes it will begin to look like a coarse meal with small knobs of butter scattered throughout. Do not over process, so when you have reached this point turn the mixer off. Add the sugar, baking soda and baking powder and mix again quickly then shut off mixer again. Lastly, add the wet ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together and then toss in any ingredients. Mix gently again, then place the dough onto a counter and either shape it into a flat log and cut triangles out of this or shape into an 8” circle and cut 8 equal slices. If you plan to bake the wedges, brush them with a little egg wash and top with some coarse sugar. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and the center is firm to the touch. If you plan to freeze them simply separate the wedges and freeze in a lidded container.