Thursday, September 26, 2019

Orange-Cranberry Scones (Blue-Ribbon Winning)


These scones won a blue ribbon at the Kentucky State Fair in 2019!

2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp fiori di sicilia (I recommend the one from Homemade Baking)
Zest of 1 organic orange
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Zest orange.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in dried cranberries.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, zest, fiori di sicilia and egg until smooth.
  5. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
  6. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. (If you have time, freeze for 30 minutes. Turn the oven on after 15 minutes.) Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.