Is it really Monday again already? I don’t know about you guys, but this weekend flew by so quickly for me. You may have heard, frigid weather invaded the northeast (-15 to -25 F with the wind chill last night – eek!) so I spent a whole lot of time on the internet researching vacation ideas. Shane and I have been talking about a vacation for nearly 6 months so *hopefully* we’ll make a decision soon. A week on the beach with warm, sunny weather and a fruity drink sounds seriously appealing right now. The rest of my weekend was spent in the kitchen (sports on the tv in the background of course, side note – the Australian Open is wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule with its 2 am matches but I can’t help myself). I was super productive, whipping up a good mix of sweet and savory items. Among other things, I made these cranberry orange scones using a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa after realizing it’s been way too long since I baked scones.
I quartered Ina’s recipe because I didn’t have anyone to share these with, and they’re pretty rich with 3 sticks of butter and 4 eggs in a full batch. My mini batch yielded 4 reasonably-sized scones – perfect! I made the dough late one night and cut the scones, then froze them and baked them fresh the next morning. In my sleepy state I forgot the egg wash so they’re a little pale in color, but they baked up beautifully otherwise and were really delicious regardless. Texturally, they’re light and fluffy, and despite the richness, they’re actually not very sweet. The addition of the glaze – a combination of confectioners’ sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice – provided the extra touch of sweetness I needed. The combination of cranberries and orange is a good one, though I think you could easily substitute whatever dried fruit you happen to have on hand.
Cranberry Orange Scones
from Ina Garten (via FoodNetwork.com)
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 sticks (24 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 4 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest until combined. Add the butter and mix on low until the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. In a measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. With the mixer on low, slowly add the egg/cream mixture to the dough, beating just until incorporated. Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl, then add to the mixer and beat on low speed just until distributed.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it is 3/4-inch thick, turning the dough as you roll so you ensure it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3-inch round cutter and cut circles of dough. (Or, roll the dough into a square and use a knife to cut into square-shaped scones). Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet. If necessary, collect the scraps, reroll them and cut more scones.
Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops have browned and are firm to the touch. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and let them cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together to make the glaze. Drizzle over the scones.
Makes about 16 scones
Mmm…love these scones….my favourite ingredients there..cranberries and orange. I’m sure everywhere smells so good when you bake these 😀
I’ve made something very similiar and LOVED them! Great job.
Those look really wonderful…it’s breakfast time here, I wish I had one of those!
Those look so pretty with the bright red of the cranberries peaking out of the delicious scone. Great recipe!
We love these scones, and I usually make them as you did. Contrary to what you think, I love how yours look without the egg wash, so I think I’m going to skip it next time!
I was researching vacation ideas this weekend too! Get me out of this cold weather! These scones look amazing — they would go great with the cup of coffee sitting on my desk right now. 🙂
Yum…..I am having trouble warming up and want to wear polartec all day long….
Mmmmmm! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love these orange scones….perfect in every sense !
I’m totally searching vacation deals too! Must. Escape. Cold.
This is one of my favorite flavor combos, refreashing
So afraid of scones…but going to try this one. Looks lovely.
These look wonderful, and I love the idea of freezing them in advance. Ina’s recipes are all wonderful — I’ll have to try this one out!
I used to be afraid of scones, but it turns out they’re darn easy. 🙂 Question- so you cut them, then froze them overnight? And put them straight into the oven in the morning? Did that increase the baking time? Thanks for the recipe- looks delicious. I can’t wait to try them!
@Carey – Yes, after I cut them, I stuck the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours until the scones were hard, then I froze them individually in plastic wrap in a resealable bag. In the morning, I unwrapped them & put them straight into the oven. You might need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time straight from the freezer – I think the total baking time for mine was maybe 23 minutes.
Good luck, hope you enjoy them! 🙂
How cool! I didn’t know you could do that. A new recipe and a new technique- thanks! 🙂
Those look like the perfect scone! I
Those scones look fantastic! I hope you are able to take your vacation soon!
Who wouldn’t want such a great scone. I treat myself almost every Saturday to a nice warm scone and black coffee:) These really look yummy!
I haven’t made scones in a long time either. These sound delicious!
We were just on vacation and it’s hard to come back to the cold temps, but definitely worth it to get away for a while!
These are lovely! I think I always roll my scones too thin. I love the way yours look. Yum 🙂