Sunday, November 7, 2010

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones


Cranberry and orange... a match made in heaven.  Combine the two with flour, sugar, butter and a sweet glaze and you actually have heaven in the shape of a scone!   While a dose of oatmeal doesn't exactly make these scones "healthy", it does add some fiber and it's cholesterol lowering benefits with every bite make me feel a bit better as I reach for my second.

I have long since forgotten the source of this favorite recipe, it's scribbled directions splattered with juice and glaze in the 10 years that it has been gracing our kitchen.  Even my "I don't really like baked goods" husband reached for a second serving of these tender, light scones and Liv immediately proclaimed them "One of the best ever!" as my teenage son sampled his with a smile.

My handwritten note to "plump" the cranberries and raisins is a step that I have forgotten in the past.  Not really a big deal, but worth mentioning that "plumping" is preferable, providing a scone with rounded berries and raisins simply bursting with flavor.


If you are a cranberry/orange fan you may enjoy our Cranberry Orange Bread for the bread machine!   Thick slices turn into the most divine french toast!  Also perfect for left over turkey sandwiches.

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones
Kim Kelly - Liv Life

The perfect lazy morning treat!  Tender scones with a slightly crisp crust melt in your mouth with the sweet/tart flavors of cranberry and orange topped with a dusting of raw sugar and a delightful orange glaze.

1¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal, old fashioned oats
½ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks
1 egg
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 cup raisins and cranberries (plumped!)
milk
raw sugar

Glaze:
⅓ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs orange juice (add enough to make glaze "drizzleable")
½ -1 tsp grated orange zest

Place raisins and cranberries into a small pot of water and bring to a boil, simmer for 1-2 minutes, then drain.  Shake out excess water.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or prepare with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 425º.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, orange zest, baking power and baking soda.  Whisk to combine.  Add the butter and mix until the butter is mostly mixed in with a few pieces the size of very small peas.  Mix in the egg, orange juice and raisins, mixing just until a soft dough forms, being very careful not to over mix.

Pour dough onto a well floured surface and pat into a circle until the dough is a 1 - 1½ inch thickness.  Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

Cut the circle into eighths, but do not separate.  Brush with milk and sprinkle liberally with raw sugar.

Place the scones into the oven and bake until evenly browned, 14 - 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely.  Mix together glaze ingredients (powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest) to form a glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the scones and allow to set.

We love the scones an hour or so after baking, but we love them even more the next day!



14 comments:

  1. bookmarking! I've never made scones before. Cranberry and orange sound like a great combo.

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  2. I've never made scones either...love them, but they're on my list of things to try, though! Love orange-cranberry...saving this!!

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  3. I could not agree with you more about cranberry and orange! These look amazing, how do you come up with these recipes?!

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  4. Sigh, I do love the crumbly goodness of scones, but because of the butter I try not to have them too much. If there is orange, cranberry, and raisins, does that cancel out the fat from the butter? ;)

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  5. wow you are diffinitely the queen of scones these look amazing. I just bought some craisins wonder how those will be in here, tons of tangerines in the house got to improvise and try this! thanks for the recipe this sounds fabulous!

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  6. mmm... yummy! may I have a piece??? :D

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  7. love the addition of oatmeal- great way to sneak in some goodness for children hehe. cranberry orange scones are our favorite! i know your glaze kicked it up a notch!

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  8. Liv- I bookmarking this recipe, too. This scone recipe has less butter, than some that I' ve seen.
    I usually make muffins, but his recipe looks like a winner!

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  9. I still need to try and do scones again. My one experience was with scone cookies and was not positive. this looks wonderful though. You've definitely got it down. ::sigh::

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  10. Oh Kim, I'm definitely going to try this recipe out because the cranberry orange scones that I make include 3/4 lb of cold butter! However, I think it's because it makes a bajillion scones... and I painstakingly make them little rounds with my 1" cutter. Definitely an hours-long process and I welcome a quick scone recipe :-) Thanks so much for sharing! They look scrumptious!

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  11. These sound delightful! Perfect fall flavors...and great for a weekend breakfast or afternoon treat with coffee. Love that they have oats in them too! Thanks for sharing ;)

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  12. I love cranberry scones but never tried adding an orange touch to them, love the glaze

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  13. I'm totally in the cranberry mood these days. These scones look great!

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