2tablespoonsorange juice more if needed - enough to make a glaze
½teaspoonorange extractoptional
Instructions
Mix the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
Grate butter into the dry ingredients.
Stir
Grate orange zest into the mixture.
Stir
Stir in cranberries
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk and vanilla extract until blended.
Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms a ball. Dough will be sticky.
Place the dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet and pat into a disk about 1-inch thick.
Cut the dough into wedges with a sharp knife =. Don't separate the wedges if you. like soft sides. Separate them if you like crusty sides.
Sprinkle top with sugar and let the cranberry scones stand twenty minutes at room temperature. This helps the gluten relax.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F or until golden brown. Interior temperature will be 200℉ if checked with an instant-read thermometer.
Glaze
Mix the powdered sugar and orange juice (and orange extract if using) until it's a smooth glaze.
Spoon over warm scones.
Notes
Storage:Wrap leftover scones in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container for up to two days.For longer storage, flash-freeze the cooled scones on a large baking sheet for two hours. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for up to two months.Tips:
Use a fork or pastry blender to mix the wet ingredients. I don’t recommend using a food processor because it’s easy to overmix the dough that way—you’ll end up with tough scones!
For best results, use real buttermilk in your baking recipes! DIY buttermilk will sometimes do the trick, but doesn’t have the same thick texture or tangy flavor as the real stuff.
Don’t use a rolling pin to flatten your dough! Gently pat the dough by hand to make sure you don’t activate the gluten in the all-purpose flour.
Shape your scones with floured hands on a lightly floured surface—the dough is super sticky!
Let the scones rest for 20 minutes before baking, either at room temperature or in the fridge if your house is too warm. This allows the gluten to relax and helps make tender scones.
Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream or an egg wash before baking to give ‘em a pretty shine.
Use just enough juice to make a pourable glaze. Add more powdered sugar if your glaze is too runny or more orange juice if it’s too thick.