Things have been super-busy in the school department lately, but that won't stop me from baking. I'm a bit cinnamon-tired at the moment (it really seems to go into EVERYTHING during the month of December), so I went for something fresh and fruity this time, but still very seasonal! Orange and cranberry go really well together, just make sure you use organic oranges and good quality cranberries. If you can only find cranberries that are sort of dry and tough, you could try soaking them overnight in some orange juice to make them juicier and softer. If you can't find organic oranges, just make sure you clean them really well!
The basis of this recipe is Paul Hollywood's scone recipe, and it calls for somewhat of an unusual way of working the dough. Usually, we're told that scone dough should be handled as lightly as possible, and this is the case here, although the folding ("chaffing") still feels somewhat unnatural and rough. Rest assured that these will turn out lovely and soft! To serve I used some fruity orange marmelade to add to the citrus flavour, I'm not a fan of the bitter variety. In the Netherlands it's quite difficult to get a hold of clotted cream so I substituted whipped cream, you could also use butter. I suppose everyone has their own, favourite way of serving scones. All-in-all, I think these scones would be an excellent addition to your Christmas treats table.
Recipe Fruity Orange and Cranberry Scones
yields 8 large, or 15 smaller scones
Tools: scone pastry cutter or glass, wooden spoon, mixing bowl
Ingredients:
500 strong white flour
80gr butter (softened)
80gr castor sugar
5 tsp baking powder
zest of 2 oranges
100gr good quality cranberries
2 eggs
250ml full fat milk
1 egg beaten with salt for eggwash
To serve:
clotted or whipped cream
butter
orange marmelade
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper (not greaseproof)
2. Put the butter and 450gr flour into a bowl and rub the butter into the flour with your hands until you get a breadcrumb-like consistency.
3. Add the zest, baking powder, sugar and cranberries and mix until everything is well distributed. Then add the 2 eggs and gently turn the mixture with a wooden spoon. Really go down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
4. Add half the milk, and turn the mixture gently with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining milk and bring everything together to a wet and soft dough.
5. Flour your working surface with most of your remaining flour, then tip the dough onto the surface. Coat the top with flour. Fold the dough in half, turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. This is "chaffing", by doing this you'll incorporate the rest of the flour and add air. If the dough becomes too sticky you can coat the dough with some more flour. Your dough should be smooth and spring back when touched. Be careful not to overwork it!
6. Roll the dough out to 2.5cm/1 inch thick. Do this by rolling from the middle, place your pin in the middle of the dough and roll upwards, then place it in the middle again and roll downwards. Relax the dough slightly by lifting the edges and allowing the dough to drop back onto the work surface.
7. Coat the inside of your pastry cutter with flour and cut out rounds from the dough. Don't twist the cutter, simply push it all the way to the bottom and pull it back up the same way. You'll be able to get about 5 big scones from the dough, once you've placed these 5 on the baking tray bring the remaining dough together with your hands, making sure you treat it lightly. Roll it out to the same thickness (2.5cm/1 inch) and cut out more scones (around 3). You can work and roll the remaining dough again, but the resulting scones will not be as light and fluffy.
8. Beat your egg with a pinch of salt for the eggwash. Brush the eggwash over the top of the scones with a pastry brush or your fingers, making sure none of it drips over the sides. If the eggwash drips down the sides, the scones will not rise properly.
9. Bake the scones in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and risen.
10. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, cut or split them in half and spread with clotted or whipped cream and orange marmelade to serve.
Labels: Cranberries, Cranberry, English, Fruity, Orange, Scones
