Cranberry Scones

Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 20 Min
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled and diced
1 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup white sugar
1 grated zest of one orange
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In a separate bowl, toss cranberries with sugar; add to flour mixture along with orange peel and nuts. Mix lightly.
4. In another bowl, beat together cream and egg; slowly pour into dry ingredients, mixing with rubber scraper until dough forms. Knead dough 4 or 5 times, being careful not to over handle. Divide dough in half. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Shape each half into a 6 inch circle. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place scones on lightly greased baking sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
NOTES:
This is a PERFECT recipe. Don't be confused by the instructions to knead the batter. I think the author just means to mix the berries and nuts well. Instead, I dropped rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet and baked at 375 for 20 minutes as instructed. These scones couldn't have been any better from a New York City bakery! I've made three batches of this recipe in one week and everyone who has tried one has raved (and everyone thinks they must be so hard to make! I've got them fooled!) I use the Craisins found next to raisins and leave out the sugar and orange. For variation, I've substituted chocolate chips and walnuts. DELICIOUS and PERFECT every time!!!
This was so good. I used dried cranberries instead of fresh, delicious. I also used sliced almonds instead of walnuts. Instead of half and half, I used one cup of vanilla yogurt and 1/4 cup of skim milk. I dropped tablespoonfuls and it made 15. They baked in 17 minutes. They were fast and easy. I can't wait to try it again.
I also drizzled an orange glaze over them when slightly cooled
I loved this recipe!! I used the new orange flavored craisins and they gave it a great flavor and I omitted the sugar as they were already sweetened. My husband who hates scones said that he liked these because they were not as dry and crumbly as others he has had.
This is so good! I didn't have half and half so I substituted 1/3 heavy cream and 2/3 buttermilk and it was perfect. I had to bake them a little longer (10 minutes) but I think that's because I used a stone instead of a sheet pan. Anyway, the texture was perfect. The dough was a little sticky, but I added 1/4 cup more flour and it made it more manageable (but still sticky enough!). YUM.
Reva in Sacramento