Orange Scones
I’m not sure where my Mom got her love of tea but she has drank hot tea my entire life. Growing up in Michigan there was this super cute little gift shop that sold fun tea accessories like flavored honey, teacups, spoons, scone mixes, etc. and my sisters and I would always get her birthday gifts from there. To go along with tea, she would often have scones!
Maybe for this reason, scones have always been a comfort food for me? In college at the University Bookstore Coffeeshop they had cranberry orange scones and I got one every single weekday for 4 semester in a row. I should have just learned to bake them back then!
To present day my love of tea and scones is strong. I love having fancy tea at fancy hotels with friends, or tea and scones by myself in the morning or after a bath. My most unique tea and scone experience was ‘Mile High Tea Service’ on a Delta flight in business class. I was flying to London for work and the airline was offering in-flight tea service! I was so giddy, how cool?! They brought me a beautiful tea set with a tiered tray of scones, clotted cream, and jam!
This Orange Scone recipe I am sharing here is my favorite for 2 reasons: 1) it’s a great recipe to introduce people to scones because they are rich in flavor and have a delicate texture. 2) who has clotted cream in their fridge? with this recipe the glaze replaces the need for cream and jam.
INGREDIENTS
Scone
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar + 1 additional Tbsp
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons orange zest
6 tablespoons orange juice
1 egg
2 tablespoons buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Orange Glaze
½ cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter (do not use a food processor). Mix in orange zest.
In a separate bowl, whisk orange juice, vanilla, egg, and buttermilk together.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir until moistened and sticky.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead gently about 10 times. Pat into a 8x10-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle into 3 squares; cut each square diagonally into 6 triangles.
Arrange scones on a prepared baking sheet (I use parchment with cooking spray).
Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
While the scones are baking, you can go ahead and make the orange glaze.
Mix 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and drizzle in the orange juice until thick and smooth. Note: you may not use all the orange juice. Now mix in the orange zest.
When scones are baked and still warm, transfer them to a wire rack. Drizzle the glaze all over the scones as desired. Finish with extra grated orange zest. Enjoy!
