The Best Lemon Cranberry Scones!

 

As the daughter of English parents I've had my fair share of scones. Nothing beats a warm scone with a little butter and strong cup of tea on a Sunday morning. This recipe will put your morning scone from Starbucks to shame. The secret is keeping the scones moist (the job of 18% cream) and perfectly sweet (but not too sugary).

I found some amazing organic lemons at the market the other day and had to buy them. They were my inspiration! They really were the biggest lemons I've ever seen. I can't believe they are organic because they really look like a genetically-enginered version. I even took pictures so you could see them!

Make these for overnight guests at your home or as a hostess gift when visiting friends.

The recipe is easy to adapt for seasonal variations so feel free to add/delete ingredients so it works for you. I have noted the changes I made for this batch in italics.

Ingredients & Preparation: (Original recipe from Bon Appetit, November 2005)

Makes 12

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon peel (I use at least 2 tbsp of lemon peel)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries (I only use 1/2 cup or I find the scones too sweet)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I didn't use walnuts for this batch)
• 1/2 cup (or more) chilled half and half (The secret is to use 18% cream instead! I use at least 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup icing sugar for dusting (this is my addition)

For the glaze:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar and 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice in bowl for glaze.
Whisk flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and 1 cup sugar in large bowl. Add chilled butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Mix in cranberries and walnuts. Add cream and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Toss with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more cream if dough is dry (It will be dry - add more cream!). Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Press out each half on floured surface to 6-inch-diameter (1-inch-high) round. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Transfer to baking sheet; brush with glaze.
Bake scones until golden and tester comes out clean, about 18 minutes (With more cream added I baked my scones for another 4-5 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.