Makes 12 small scones
Beautifully golden brown and dotted with jewel-like cranberries, these cute little scones are perfect for the holidays, but they're tasty any time of year. You can whip up a batch of warm scones for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea in no time, or you can make them when you have a few spare minutes and freeze them for later. Defrost them at room temperature and heat at 375° for about 5 to 8 minutes (I put them in my little toaster/convection oven).
The optional egg glaze gives the scones a beautiful shine and dark golden color. As always, I urge you to seek out organic ingredients. And make sure your baking powder is fresh! If you've never grated your own fresh nutmeg, now is your chance. It took me years to get around to trying this, and I will never use pre-ground again.
2¼ to 2½ cups organic all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1 teaspoon pre-ground)
1/2 cup (4 ounces/1 stick) organic butter, chilled & cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (craisins)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 egg
2 Tablespoons yogurt + milk to make 3/4 cup (or 3/4 cup buttermilk)
Optional Egg Glaze:
Beat well with a fork:
1 egg & 2 Tablespoons milk
Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Heat the oven to 400°. Combine 2¼ cups of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Using a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers, cut butter into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbles. Add cranberries and pecans (if desired) and toss gently until combined.
Use a fork to beat the yogurt/milk mixture with the egg, then gently fold into the dry ingredients, mixing lightly just until blended. Add up to 1/4 cup additional flour if dough is too sticky.
On a floured surface, divide the dough in half and gently pat each half into a circle 5 or 6 inches in diameter. With a sharp knife (I use a large serrated knife dipped in flour), cut each circle into 6 wedges and place on a heavy duty baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper.
Brush the tops and sides of the scones with egg glaze if desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container or freeze.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
