cranberry clementine scones

Cozy.

That's the word that comes to mind when I think of scones.  Other than... scones.

To me, they should be enjoyed while bundled up under a fuzzy blanket with a steamy mug of tea.  Ick, I just realized that I don't really like the word "steamy".  Anywho, scones are definitely cozy.

Kind of like this "winter" weather we're having in L.A.  It's a pleasant 72 degrees as I write this.

The combination of warm weather and heavy holiday desserts makes me crave citrus.  And the fact that we have a lemon tree at our apartment building that I sit and stare at because I'm weird like that doesn't help things.  The day I decided to go pick the ripe ones, some random dude in an electrician van pulled up and stole all of my lemons.  Uhhh, okay, sir.  Go ahead and help yourself to my lemons.

Oh, so, point of that story?  Expect to see a lot of citrus from me.

And a tip?  Watching Atonement while baking results in some epically depressing scone making.  I don't recommend it.

Nope, that's not cheese.  It's grated butter.  I do recommend doing that.  If you love the smell of butter, this is a must.  Deeeee-vine.  And it's the easiest way to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients.

A few notes about the scones:  1) They are not overly sweet scones, like what you'd find at Starbucks.   You can totally add more sugar if that's your thang.  2) Even though I made mine with clementines, you can definitely make them with oranges.  I just think clementines are cuter.  Plus, I bought a 10 pound bag and kinda needed to use some up.  3) Use any kind of cranberries you like.  Fresh, frozen (like I did), or dried.  But if you use dried, make sure to decrease the sugar by about 3 tablespoons since they are already sweetened.

Now that we have that covered, get to it!

Cranberry Clementine Scones
makes 8 large scones

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Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping tablespoon grated clementine zest (from ~ 5 clementines)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled & grated
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen), coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
1/4 cup clementine juice (from ~ 5 clementines)
1 egg, for egg wash
coarse sanding sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Add in the clementine zest and stir to combine.  Add the grated butter and combine it with the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter or your hands until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Mix in the chopped cranberries.  Slowly add the buttermilk and clementine juice.   Use a fork to toss the mixture until wet clumps form.  

On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out.  Using about 4-6 turns, carefully knead the dough. Form the dough into a round about 1-inch thick.  Cut the round into 8 wedges or use a biscuit cutter. Place the scone wedges on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them.

Beat the egg in a small bowl.  Brush a little bit of the egg wash on the top of each scone.  Sprinkle with the coarse sanding sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Scones can be served warm or at room temperature.

*NOTES:
-Regular oranges can be used in place of clementines.
- You can use dried cranberries if you like.  Just decrease the sugar by about 3 tablespoons.
- I like the scones better the next day, after the flavors have married.  Just heat up & enjoy!

Source: adapted from Epicurious

Hey there, cute mug!

By the way, don't you just love the green dress that Keira Knightley wears in Atonement?