Awesome Scones

I found this new recipe for scones a few of days ago and have made it four (!!) times already! :)))) Every time, they have been a hit with everyone who tried them. The recipe is also great because you can really use it as a base and change up the flavors any way you want to fit your own taste- these can easily be made into:

currant scones,
lemon-blueberry,
orange-cranberry,
butterscotch chips,
coconut and chocolate chips,
craisins and white chips, 
hazelnuts and toffee chunks, 
walnuts and chopped dried apricots, 
coarsely chopped candied ginger and cinnamon, 
pecans and caramels cut into fourths,
cheddar and herbs,
cheddar and green onions or chives, 
ham and cheese, etc, etc....... 

Use your imagination and create scones to die for! The variations are limitless and I love this recipe for its versatility. It is a wonderful base recipe for scones and I highly recommend it.

(I do have to say that I use pampered chef's stoneware for baking and the results are superb. I baked one batch of these scones on non-stick cookie sheets and they burned on the bottoms even though the temperature, the recipe, and the oven were all exactly the same- the only thing different was the cookie sheet. So, yes, I highly recommend stoneware for baking too :))

But without further ado, here is the star of tonight's show: 

Cranberry-Lemon Scones (my favorite variation)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen
1/2 cup cranberries
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients and frozen butter (cut in pieces) in food processor. Process it a few seconds until well blended. Add wet ingredients and pulse it until well blended. Add lemon zest and cranberries (or any other fruits or chips you like). Just pulse it a couple of times to mix. Take the batter out. Divide it in two balls. Pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about  1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles. Place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 


Alternately, if you do not have a food processor,  follow the directions below:

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater. Use your fingers (or a pastry blender) to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal). Then stir in cranberries and lemon zest.
2. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
3. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.) 
4. Divide dough in two balls, pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles. Place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-scones/detail.aspx