SCONES

 I got today's recipe from Tiff, a college roommate.  I can still remember vividly, the first time she made this recipe while we were living together.  They were AMAZING!!!  So naturally, I had to get the recipe from her.  I have been making them ever since.  The recipe is simple and can be easily altered.  When Tiff first made them for us, she made apple cinnamon and orange cranberry.  I loved the orange cranberry!  The apple cinnamon were good, I'm just not crazy about cooked apples.  One of the things I love soo much about this recipe is that the flavor combinations are endless!  For today, I made the lovely orange cranberry and also blueberry lemon scones.


RECIPE:

2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chilled butter, cut up
3/4 C milk


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray/grease two cookie sheets.

 Combine flour, sugar baking powder and salt.  Cut butter into mixture.  (I cut the butter into quarters, then cube those, adding the butter one cube at a time).

Add milk, mix until sticky.  (This is where I add the flavors for the scones).* 

                                                             (cranberry orange dough)

(blueberry lemon dough)

 Place on sprayed/greased cookie sheets.  Flatten dough to 3/4 inches thick.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Cook for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Cuts into about a dozen strips.

(orange cranberry  )

(blueberry lemon)

~*For the orange cranberry scones, I use about 1/4 C cranberries and the zest from 1 orange.  I use dried cranberries and I let the cranberries soak in warm water for at least 10 minutes before I need them.  When I am ready to put them in the dough mixture I drain the water.

~*For the blueberry lemon scones, I use about 1/4 C blueberries and the zest from 2 lemons.  I use dried blueberries for this, less messy than using fresh blueberries.  I let the blueberries soak in warm water for at least 10 minutes before I need them, then I drain them before I add them to the dough.

~You can also top the scones with a powdered sugar glaze.

~For apple cinnamon scones, I use 1 apple and dice it up into little pieces and about 2 tsps of cinnamon.  You can also make a poppy seed and almond scone.  I've yet to make that one, I think that'll be the next flavor combo I try!

~The strength of the orange and lemon flavors will depend on how much zest you use.  I like a strong flavor, so I use more.  If you would like a more subtle flavor, use less.

~I prefer using unsalted butter, but all I had thawed today was salted butter.  In which case, I just omitted the salt from the mix.