Bacon Cranberry Scones With Citrus Basil Butter Food

THE BEST CRANBERRY SCONES EVER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven.
• Butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
• Stir in the cranberries and mixed fruit peel, making sure not to crush the berries.
• Add the milk and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough into a circle that is 8 inches (20cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick.
• Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and then brush the scone with milk. Using a sharp knife, score the top of the scone into eight triangles and then sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the scone comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on a high setting. Sift icing sugar over the top of the scone and place under the broiler.
• Broil for just a few seconds, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scone carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly!
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Enjoy!

CRANBERRY SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Zest the lime with a grater and add 1 teaspoon of the zest to the bowl.
• Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a small bowl. Reserve the other half of the lime for later. Add the milk to the bowl with the lime juice. The milk will curdle, producing buttermilk!
• Add the finely cut butter to the flour mixture and gently rub it with your hands or use a pastry blender until it is coarse and mealy; you don't want to work it in completely. Stir in the frozen cranberries.
• Whisk the egg into the milk mixture in the small bowl. Add the liquid from the small bowl into the butter-flour-and-cranberry mixture, folding until the dough just comes together.
• On a lightly floured surface, press the dough into a 1-inch-thick round disk. Cut the disk into 8 slices.
• Grease or spray a heavy baking sheet with butter or nonstick spray. Evenly space the dough wedges on the sheet. Squeeze the remaining lime half over top of each wedge to create a "glue," then sprinkle with the raw sugar. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the tops of the scones are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.