tasty tuesday ~ barefoot contessa's cranberry orange scones

This morning I woke up to an wintery mix wonderland. My driveway is now a lovely ice rink and my car might thaw out by March. The trees are hanging low with icicles and I had to turn the heat up in the house a degree or two. Since school was canceled for the day, I grabbed my yoga pants and headed into the kitchen. Scones were the order of the day and I could not wait to get started. 

My dear friend Karen made these several weeks ago and I have been dying to to replicate them ever since. I went to my trusty cookbook shelf and pulled out an old friend, Miss Ina, the lovely Barefoot Contessa. I gathered my ingredients and began another wonderful baking odyssey into the land of butter and sugar adding a little splash of color and flavor with the cranberry's and orange. 

I needed gently, formed the ball, cut the scones with my lovely shiny new biscuit cutter and waited for the magic to happen. The smells from the oven were just heavenly and when the little bell on my timer rang, I tripped over a kitchen chair trying to desperately reach the magical baking box to release these clouds of flaky, buttery goodness. 

These scones were absolutely divine! I baked off four and placed the others in a freezer bag. Into the deep freeze they went, to be baked off one weekend when my lazy bone takes over and I am unable to gather strength to meet the kitchen and it's demands. 

You MUST bake these! Your life will never be the same!

Celebrate the Feast!!

Mary

***************************************************************

Cranberry Orange Scones

recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus

additional sugar, for sprinkling

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

3/4 lb cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 cup dried cranberries

Egg Wash:

1 eggs, beaten with

2 tablespoons water or 2 tablespoons milk

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

***********************************************************