Orange and Cranberry Buttermilk Scones
I was not particularly fond of scones. But that changed the day I tasted the Orange Cranberry Scone at the local Great Harvest Bread Company. It was love at first bite for me. I kept going back just for a cup of freshly brewed coffee and one huge Orange and Cranberry Scone and then... then one fine day they stopped just making it. They said it was the flavor of that particular month. I was totally heart-broken. That's when I had made up my mind that I will try to make it at home. Then I procrastinated for a couple of months. In the meantime Great Harvest Bread Company brought back the Orange and Cranberry Scones, I am thinking, on popular demand. Happy camper, I would just keep going back for more.
Then last week, while tidying up my kitchen I realized that I had an orange, some dried cranberries in the pantry and nothing planned for the rest of the day. So off I went on a Orange and Cranberry Buttermilk Scones baking quest. The results were lovely, if I may say so.
After playing around a little, I came up with this recipe which was very close to theirs. Now theirs is perfect. But mine is close to perfect. I will still go back for their Orange and Cranberry Buttermilk Scones but now I can whip it up at home anytime I wanted to lest Great Harvest Bread Company decides to take it off the menu again!
Oh, they make ah-mazing Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones too! May be I should try that out sometime.
Oh, they make ah-mazing Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones too! May be I should try that out sometime.
Ingredients: (For Orange and Cranberry Buttermilk Scones, Yield 8)
- All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 Cup
- Sugar 4 tbsp + 1 tsp, divided
- Baking powder - 1-1/4 tsp
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
- Butter - 5 tbsp. cold and cut into small cubes
- Buttermilk - 1/2 Cup
- Dried Cranberries - 1/2 Cup
- Orange Zest - 1 tsp
- Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice - 1 tbsp
- A little milk for brushing the dough
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and keep aside.
In a small bowl, soak the cranberries in the orange juice. Stir and keep aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, 4 tbsp cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the cold butter until mixture turns crumbly. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix and pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the orange juice soaked cranberries and orange zest.
Flour a cutting board or a surface (I used my cookie sheet, since it was easier to photograph in it).
Take the flour-buttermilk mixture onto the floured surface. Knead it a few times till the dough comes together just a little and using the palm of your hands, pat it into roughly a 8 inch circle. Cut the the circle in 8 equal sized wedges.
Arrange the wedges on the greased cookie sheet. Brush them lightly with milk and sprinkle the 1 tsp sugar. Add another teaspoon of sugar more if you wish.
Bake at 400 F for 16-18 minutes until they turn golden brown.
Let the hot Orange and Cranberry Buttermilk Scones cool down a little on a cooling rack before serving.
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