Cranberry Orange Scones

Do y'all know what movie premiers this Friday?! It just happens to be my favorite TV series of all time -- DOWNTON ABBEY!!! Clearly, I'm beyond excited! ;) So, naturally, I planned this week's recipes in honor of the premier. What can be more English than scones?? Nothing in my opinion. I'm pleased to introduce y'all to my recipe for Cranberry Orange Scones!

*If you're a huge fan like me you can buy the Official Downton Abbey CookbookHERE!

Want to know one of my favorite things about Downton Abbey? I didn't pick up on it until I was well into the series, but there is such a strong premise around FOOD. Whether it's around the upstairs dining room where the constant drama unfolds or downstairs in the kitchen while Mrs. Patmore is teaching Daisy all of her tips & tricks. It's crazy to see how much the kitchen itself evolved from before World War I. For example, the REFRIGERATOR! Can you imagine life without one?? I certainly can't!

Okay, now back to the scones. :) There are a few things I really want to highlight about this recipe. First, the dough can be made in a KITCHEN AID MIXER (always a winner). You can use a pastry cutter if you would like, but it's SO much easier to use a mixer. Second, the key to amazing scones is keeping the dough COLD! Usually, my recipes call for things like eggs and buttermilk to be room temperature but not in this case. The colder the better! Third, the glaze. It's one of the best parts and only consists of confectioner's sugar (AKA powdered sugar) and freshly squeezed orange juice. That's it! It may seem like you're making a lot, but keep this in mind -- you'll cover the entire scone with glaze & half of the icing will puddle onto the parchment paper.

This recipe was tested more times than I can count. In fact, I had to resort to buying dried cranberries and oranges in bulk! I've said it before but I'll say it again -- I want every single recipe posted on Petite Southern Kitchen to be GREAT not just "good." I truly believe that once you try one recipe you'll keep coming back for more! Cannot wait for y'all to try these scones!

Cranberry Orange Scones

Yields 12 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Scones
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out the dough
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
⅓ cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold & cubed into ½ inch chucks
⅔ cup buttermilk, cold – plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones
1 egg, cold
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon orange zest (about 2 oranges)

Glaze
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-4 tablespoons orange juice (1-2 oranges)

NOTES
Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

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INSTRUCTIONS
Scones
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

With the mixer on low, add cubed cold butter. Blend until the butter is roughly the size of peas (don’t over blend). 🙂

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and vanilla until combined.

With the mixer on low, add the wet ingredients until barely combined.

Then add the dried cranberries and orange zest, mix until combined.

Using a spatula, dump the dough onto a floured board. (I love using my marble pastry board)!

Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and form into a ball. Using a pastry scraper, cut the ball in half.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into an 8-inch circle. Then put your fingertips together, palms facing yourself, and form gently shape each piece of dough in a perfect circle (evening out the edges).

Take a pastry scraper and cut each piece into 6 pieces (12 scones total). I like to cut mine down the center and then make an X.

Place 6 scones on each cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate them for 15 minutes before baking.

Take the scones out of the refrigerator and brush the tops with the buttermilk, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 8 minutes. Then switch the pans from top to bottom (so they bake evenly in the oven).

Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and the insides are fully baked.

Let cool completely before icing.

Glaze
Whisk together confectioner’s sugar and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice. Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of juice if it’s too dry.

Using a large serving spoon, drizzle the glaze all over the tops of the scones.

Serve immediately or let the glaze set at room temperature for 30 minutes.