Some scones on a weekend morn

Here are some Cranberry Lemon Zest Scones.  I love to bake scones.  They are so simple and such a great way to make company and/or my husband feel like we're celebrating something great...like a Sunday morning!  Nothing better than that.

This is a recipe from Williams-Sonoma.  Scones are also great because you can use any ingredients and make them what you want.  They don't have to be cranberry or lemon...they can be currants or blueberries or you can go the savory route with scallions and cheddar cheese - it's your fancy.  My other favorite is dark chocolate and orange zest...mmmmmm.  So good.  I made them recently but I didn't get pictures we just couldn't wait to get them in our mouths. If you want this recipe for Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest Scones go here to Joy the Baker. 

This recipe makes 6 larger scones or  8 to 10 smaller scones.

Use 1 3/4 cups of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
2/3 cup of dried cranberries
2 teaspoons of lemon (or orange) zest
1 egg (or two egg whites)
1/2 cup of buttermilk (good tip: make your own buttermilk - 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it settle for about 5 minutes giving it a good stir)

First things first.  Get your oven ready.  Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven and set it to 425 degrees.  Line a rimless baking sheet with some parchment paper (if you don't have some...get it because it's a baking dream).  

 

Mix the dough.  Get a large bowl and combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Next, take your butter fresh out of the fridge (it has to be cold) and cut it into cubes.  It doesn't have to be perfect, just cut into smaller chunks really.  Add to the dry ingredients. 

Then add the cranberries and zest to the bowl. 

Whisk together the egg and the buttermilk until well blended.  Add this to the bowl with the rest of the dry ingredients and butter. 

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine everything together and you'll come up with this ball of yummy looking dough. 

You of course, should get some flour on whatever surface you are using. 

Ball up the dough on the floured surface and press together gently into a circle of about 8 inches in diameter.  Get a sharp knife (use some flour on the knife) and cut into pieces as you wish.

Before I put the scones in the oven, I usually sprinkle some sugar over the top.  This provides a little but of a sugary crust when they come out of the oven.  Good idea.

Bake them 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.  Bake until scones are golden brown (about 15 to 17 minutes depending on your oven).  It doesn't hurt to put the timer on for 12 minutes and just check them out.  There is nothing worse than burnt scones!  


After they are done, put them on a wire rack to let them cool slightly (but not fully!).  Serve warm with butter and jam!  Delish.