Princess scones

Because they're pink, of course

Cranberry scones
2 cups unbleached wheat or whole wheat flour
1 cup oats, ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 T brown sugar (optional, for sweeter scone)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits (or grate frozen butter. Make sure the grater is also frozen)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, plumped

3 T honey
1 large egg
1 cup cranberry jelly
1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Preheat oven to 400F (375 if you have a baking stone in your oven) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Adjust a baking rack to the middle position.

Plump the cranberries by placing in a cup of water and microwaving on high about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Beat together the liquid ingredients and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, knife or your hands until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Dough will be very sticky.

For drop scones, place in tablespoon scoops onto a parchment-covered baking sheet about 1 inch apart on and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden-pink. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.

Leftover lemon curd

I made lemon curd last week for lemon thumbprint cookies, and had a lot left over, so I made a plain scone to go with it.

Cornmeal scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Adjust a baking rack to the middle position.

Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, knife or your hands until it resembles a coarse meal. Lightly beat the honey, egg, yolk, milk and sourcream together in a bowl (use the same one you used for the strawberries ), then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Dough will be very sticky.

Using soup spoons (for large scones) or teaspoons (for small scones) spoon out 1 1/2" or 2" mounds onto the cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.

Serve with butter and lemon curd

For the Master Gardeners

I made these for my Master Gardener class this week.

Orange scones with dried cranberries
Heat oven to 400F/200C

Mix together:
1 cup flour (white or wheat, or mixed)
1 cup ground whole oats
4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt

Cut in, until mixture resembles coarse meal:
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" chunks

Then add:
1/2+ cup plumped dried cranberries (to plump, immerse in water and microwave on high for 2 mintues)
Zest of 1 orange

Whisk together:
1/3c honey
juice of one orange
1/3 c sour cream
1 egg

Add the liquid into the dried mixture until thoroughly mixed. This is a very wet dough, for drop scones. (Add a little flour if it's too sticky.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake in a hot oven until lightly brown, about 12 minutes.