Coffee Cakes, Scones and Cereals
Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chip Toasted Walnut Scones
“These scones took 1st place at the Mendocino County Fair in 2005. Eric and Elaine’s daughter, Tavi, who was 8-years-old at the time, entered her Buttermilk Biscuits in the adult division because she missed the deadline for the kid’s division. Tavi won 1st Place beating her mom, a victory almost as delicious as her biscuits.” —Innkeeper, Alegria Oceanfront Inn & Cottages
Ingredients
Servings: Makes 22 Scones
1 egg
1½ cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of ½ an orange (about 1 teaspoon)
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1¼ cups chilled butter (2½ sticks)
1 cup dried cranberries*
1 cup toasted walnuts or almonds
½ cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract and orange zest. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl or food processor. Cut in chilled butter. If using food processor, transfer mixture to a large bowl after mixing in butter. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix together (with a tossing motion) until a loose, soft dough forms. Fold in cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips. Scoop dough out onto greased baking sheets with an ice cream scoop placing scones about 1½-inches apart. Brush with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake 15-17 minutes. To Freeze: Scoop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. After frozen solid, store in a hard plastic container up to one month in the freezer. To bake, place scones on greased cookie sheet and let them thaw about 20 minutes before putting them into preheated 375°F oven. Optional: In a saucepan, bring dried cranberries and ¼ cup cointreau (or orange juice with a splash of brandy) to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain cranberries before adding to dough.
