Orange Cranberry Scones

A few months back I shared my recipe for blueberry scones. One of the reasons I love this recipe is how they are lightly sweetened and not as dense as many scones can be. So this weekend I decided to try changing up the recipe to replace the blueberries with dried cranberries and orange zest. I also had some oat flour in the pantry so I thought I'd throw that in as well. Finally, I added an orange glaze to enhance the orange flavor of the scones.

The result was delightful! The oat flour provided a heft to the scones without compromising the airiness that I've come to expect from this recipe. The next time you need to bring breakfast to a function, you should consider bringing these scones. You won't be disappointed.

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Orange Cranberry Scones


Ingredients
3 cups flour (I used 1 cup oat flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, softened
17 ounces lowfat Greek yogurt (I used 0% Fage)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
zest of an orange
4 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the flour, 

baking powder,

salt

and sugar. 

Whisk together to fully incorporate. 

Cut the softened butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture. 

Using your whisk, or pastry cutter if you have one, cut the butter into the flour until well blended.

Gently fold in the greek yogurt and vanilla until well blended. 

Finally, fold in the dried cranberries and orange zest.

Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet. (Should make 12-14 scones) 

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are golden brown. 

While the scones are baking, combine the powdered sugar

 and orange juice in a small bowl.

 Whisk to combine.

Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the orange glaze.

Let cool and serve with fresh coffee or a nice cup of tea.

Blueberry Scones

I'm always on the hunt for breakfast items that can be made ahead of time and enjoyed on the go. While at some point I hope our schedules will slow down enough for Robert and I to enjoy a sit down breakfast together on a daily basis, for the time being breakfast to go will have to do. Unfortunately, most muffin and other breakfast pastry recipes are laden with sugar so that you might as well have cake instead. This recipe, however, is the exception.

These scones are light and fluffy and the fresh blueberries provide the perfect amount of sweetness. I discovered this recipe a few years ago on Steamy Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs. I've made a few changes to suit my taste (doubled the vanilla and swapped Greek yogurt for sour cream) and I think it's better for it. With blueberries in season, this summer is the perfect time to give these scones a try.

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Blueberry Scones

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
17 ounces of lowfat Greek yogurt (I used 2% Fage)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the flour,

baking powder,

salt

and sugar.

Whisk together to fully incorporate. Cut the softened butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture.

Using your whisk, or pastry cutter if you have one, cut the butter into the flour until well blended.

Gently fold in the greek yogurt and vanilla until well blended.

Finally, fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet. (Should make 12-14 scones)

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve with fresh coffee or a nice cup of tea.

Source: Adapted from Steamy Kitchen