Cranberry Orange Scones
by Courtney Champion
With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, I’ve been dreaming up different ways for my little family of three to celebrate.
One thing I’m looking forward to is a leisurely Christmas morning, complete with homemade breakfast. With nowhere to rush off to that day, we have the opportunity to spend time together in the kitchen, and I can’t think of a better way to start the day than by making breakfast with the people I love most.
Scones are a breakfast staple around here. Before Clara was born, I filled my freezer with both chocolate chip and bacon, pepper jack, and jalapeño scones. I wanted to have my sweet and savory bases covered, and those two recipes are still favorites around here. When I was thinking of what I wanted to make for Christmas morning, though, I knew something more seasonally appropriate was in order.
Photo by Courtney Champion
These cranberry orange scones fit the bill perfectly. They are lightly sweetened and get most of their sweetness from the dried cranberries. The orange zest and juice add brightness, while the wheat flour gives these a hint of nuttiness. This recipe is a quick one, which means you can easily have these scones in the oven before the first present is unwrapped.
If your refrigerator is overflowing with clementines like ours is (Clara reaches for one every time I open it), then you can certainly use them in place of the orange called for in the recipe.
| Cranberry Orange Scones |
Print
|
- 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons raw cane sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup light cream
- 1 tablespoon orange or clementine juice
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 medium orange or 2 clementines
- milk, for glazing
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice.
- Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the dry ingredients, using your fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate it until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the dried cranberries.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the cream, orange juice, egg, and orange zest. Pour egg mixture to the flour and butter and stir with a light touch just until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, knead it gently a few times, and shape it into a ½”-thick round, about 8″ across.
- Transfer the round of dough to the baking sheet. Brush it with milk, and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Cut the round in 8 wedges and separate the wedges slightly. Bake the scones for 13-15 minutes, or until they’re light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
- To make ahead and freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and place the unbaked scones on it. Freeze until the scones are firm, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake directly from the freezer, adding a couple minutes to the original baking time.
What’s your favorite Christmas morning breakfast or tradition?
CURRENT SPONSORS:
- No More To Go - Healthy Meal Plans.
- Thrive - Your favorite foods. REDEFINED.
- Easy Homemade - Homemade pantry staples for the busy modern family.
- Smart Sweets - 30 desserts to indulge your sweet tooth..
is a post from Simple Bites
© 2010-2013 Simple Living Media, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Simple Bites subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please contact hello@simplelivingmedia.com to let us know. Thanks.