Orange Scones

Whenever I think of scones, I have a preconceived notion that they're dry and tasteless. I'm not sure where I got this impression, but I tend to think of scones as anticipation wrapped in disappointment.

These scones are none of the above. They're tender, moist, and have a lovely citrus flavor.

Plus, they come together fairly quickly and with little fuss. You don't even need to roll these guys out. Just gently shape into a flattened ball and call it a day.

Reuben's one complaint was that they were a bit "carby." This is perhaps because (dare I say it) they hardly need butter. They're still good with it, but it isn't necessary (sacrilegious!). Of course their carbiness didn't stop him from eating over half the batch.

Note: It takes about 2 large oranges to get enough juice for this recipe. If you like, you can buy one organic orange for the zest and one conventional orange and juice both. Just make sure to zest the organic orange before squeezing it. It's a lot harder to zest citrus once it's been squeezed (I speak from experience). 

Orange Scones
recipe from Pastry Affair | makes approximately 10-12 scones
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Ingredients:
FOR THE SCONES

• 1 3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup cane sugar

• zest of 1 orange (preferably organic)

• (generous) pinch of salt

• 5 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into small pieces

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)

• 1/4 cup organic sour cream

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon milk

FOR THE GLAZE

• 1/2 cup powdered cane sugar

• 1-2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

For the Scones:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, orange zest and salt. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and use a pastry blender (or a fork, two knives or your fingertips) to cut in the butter until it's the size of peas. Add the sour cream and orange juice and mix JUST until combined, adding more orange juice if it seems a bit dry.

1. Grab chunks of dough, roll them into a loose ball and flatten them onto the parchment lined baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and milk and brush this onto the tops of the scones. Allow the scones to rest for 10 minutes.

1. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn a lovely golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Add more orange juice if the glaze is too stiff. 

1. Once the scones are completely cool, drizzle with the glaze. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.