Cranberry-Orange Scones

For my first recipe, I decided to try making scones. The original recipe I used is from the wonderful all-encompassing Joy of Cooking cookbook. I modified the recipe slightly, substituting dried cranberries for raisins and adding cranberry and orange juice to the wet ingredients. The finished scones were very moist, but they did not have as stong of an orange flavor as I would have liked. Next time I make this recipe, I think I will add 1/2 cup of orange juice instead of 1/4 and maybe a teaspoon more orange zest.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup cranberry juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
In a large bowl, whisk thoroughly the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cranberries. Whisk together in a separate bowl the orange zest, orange and cranberry juices, and the heavy cream, then add to the flour mixture. Mix with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Knead the dough gently 5-10 times. Transfer the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8- inch, approximately 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut the dough into wedges, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the tops with cream or milk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar if desired. Bake until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean- about 12-15 minutes.

Source:
Rombauer, Irma S., Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker. Joy of Cooking. New York: Scribner, 1997. 791