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Ridiculously Easy Orange Cranberry Scones

Reggie Dwork <reggie@jeff-and-reggie.com>
Sat, 28 Dec 2019 22:21:22 -0800
v119.n051.3
* Exported from MasterCook *

                 Scones, Ridiculously Easy Orange Cranberry

Recipe By     :Chris Scheuer
Serving Size  : 12    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Biscuits/Scones                 Bread-Bakers Mailing List
                 Fruit                           Posted

   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                         For the scones:
   1                cup  heavy cream
   8        tablespoons  butter
   2               cups  all-purpose flour
   6        tablespoons  sugar
   1         tablespoon  baking powder
      1/2      teaspoon  salt
   2               Tbsp  orange zest -- (to 3 Tbsp) of 1 orange
   1 1/4           cups  chopped fresh cranberries
                         For the glaze:
   2               cups  powdered sugar
   1         tablespoon  milk -- or half and half
   3        tablespoons  fresh orange juice -- maybe a bit more

These Easy Orange Cranberry Scones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious 
and can be made ahead. Pop them in the oven just before serving,  for 
easy entertaining!

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins

For the scones: Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with 
parchment paper (you'll need 2 sheet pans for smaller scones). Set an 
oven rack on the middle level of the oven.

Measure 1 cup heavy cream and place in the freezer while proceeding 
with recipe. (You want the cream to be in the freezer about 10 
minutes.) Place butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover with a paper 
towel and heat on high for 1 minute. If not completely melted, return 
to microwave for 10 second intervals till melted. Set aside to cool a 
bit while prepping other ingredients.

Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, zest and salt in a medium-size 
bowl. Add the chopped cranberries (see note above in post on chopping 
cranberries) and stir to combine.

After heavy cream has been chilled in freezer for 15 minutes, combine 
it with the melted butter. Stir with a fork until butter forms small 
clumps or globules.

Add butter/cream mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber 
spatula until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from 
sides of bowl. The batter will be very thick, like a cookie dough. 
Don't over mix it, but you do want all the little flour bits to be 
incorporated.

Spray a cookie scooper (see notes above) or large spoon with 
non-stick cooking spray. Scoop up scones in mounds onto prepared pan. 
Space the scones at least 2" apart to allow for some spreading.

Refrigerate scones for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour. If you 
don't have room for 2 sheet pans in your refrigerator, put them all 
on one to chill. Then separate before baking.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a 
wire cooling rack.

While the scones are baking, make the orange glaze. Combine the 
powdered sugar, milk (or half and half) and orange juice in a 
medium-size bowl. Whisk well until smooth to make a thick, but 
drizzle-able glaze. (If glaze is too thin, add a bit more powdered 
sugar, if too thick add add a little more cream.)

Drizzle glaze over scones. If you can wait, let scones sit for 15 
minutes to let glaze set before serving.

Cal 321, Fat 15g, Carb 45g, Sod 174mg, Fiber 1g, Pro 3g

Question: This may be a silly question, but how do you freeze these? 
Put them on a baking sheet in the freezer, then put into a freezer 
bag? I would like to freeze these for Christmas morning.
Response: Just scoop them up on to a cookie sheet and freeze, 
uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, until they're nice and firmly frozen. 
Then store in a freezer bag or airtight container. Christmas morning, 
you can just pull them out of the freezer and put that on a 
parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them right from the freezer, you 
don't need to thaw. You will need to give them a few extra minutes of 
baking time though.

Review: I have made these twice and will make another batch tomorrow 
to freeze. I love these scones..ate 2 the first time I made them. I 
love that I can bake them right from the freezer. I think I will 
glaze them with honey butter.

Question: Can I make this recipe as a round, scored into triangles 
and baked? How would the bake time need to be adjusted?
Love the melted butter/cream technique and can't wait to try it!
Response: Yes, you can definitely make them that way. The baking time 
would be pretty similar. Just watch them towards the end and bake 
until they're a light golden brown.

Review: Didn't have anything orange so I used lemon with cranberries. 
Delicious!

Question: I am interested that you call these scones, but other 
similar recipes you call biscuits. (This was a great confusion to me 
for years, as American books often refer to biscuits and gravy or 
baked beans and biscuits, which in our part of the world conjures up 
visions of chocolate chip biscuits - which you would call cookies - 
dipped in gravy or beans!!!) What, for you is the difference between 
a scone and a biscuit? I would consider all of your biscuits' to be 
scones, and love the melted butter technique when I'm in a hurry, 
rather than the traditional rubbing in of butter.
Response: It is confusing. Especially if you live in England 
where(what we call) cookies are called biscuits. Here in America, 
biscuits and scones are similar. Scones are generally made with cream 
where many biscuits are made with buttermilk. Biscuits are often 
eaten as a breakfast "sandwich" and layered with eggs, sausage, 
bacon, etc. Scones here are generally sweeter and are also eaten for 
breakfast or as a snack. Scones here are also often cut into 
triangular shaped wedges. I took the easy route here and made what is 
called "drop scones".
I hope this has cleared things up a bit.

Question: This looks perfect for a New Year's Day brunch! If I were 
freezing the unbaked scones, would I need to thaw them before baking? 
How will this affect the baking time/temp? Thanks!
Response: Nope, they can go right from the freezer to the oven. Just 
add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Question: Do you think it would work using almond milk instead of the 
heavy cream?
Response: I haven't tried that so I don't want to say for sure. My 
guess would be that you just wouldn't get the same flaky, tender texture.

Question: Can frozen cranberries be used instead? If so would any 
modifications be necessary?
Response: Yes you could definitely use frozen cranberries. I would 
not add thaw them much at all though as there would be too much 
liquid.. Just chop them and add them to the flour. The only problem I 
can see is that the dough might be a little harder to stir with the 
frozen berries.

Review: The "cold cream-melted butter" technique is genius. I made my 
first scones a couple months ago that called for cutting in the cold 
butter with a pastry knife. After that escapade I decided I won't be 
doing that again anytime soon. With your technique I'll look like the 
Pillsbury Doughboy in no time from having scones frequently.

S(Internet address):
   https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ridiculously-easy-orange-cranberry-scones/
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 323 Calories; 15g Fat (42.0% 
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 
48mg Cholesterol; 298mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Fruit; 
0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 2019 - 1119