Cranberry Studded Crème Fraîche Scones Food

GINGER BUTTER

Steps:

• Beat butter and chopped ginger in small bowl to blend. Beat in 2 to 3 teaspoonfuls ginger syrup to sweeten to taste. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

CRANBERRY-TANGERINE SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, peel, baking powder, and salt in bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter. Using fingertips, rub in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in cranberries.
• Whisk crème fraîche, tangerine juice, and egg in medium bowl to blend. Gradually add to flour mixture, using fork to toss until moist clumps form. Knead dough briefly on lightly floured surface until smooth. Pat dough into 8-inch round. Cut into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with raw sugar.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made up to 1 month ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil; freeze. Serve at room temperature.)
• Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at natural foods stores and most supermarkets.

CRANBERRY SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half until just moistened. Gently fold in cranberries.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times. Pat into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges; place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Brush tops with remaining tablespoon half-and-half; sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

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!

MEYER LEMON CRANBERRY SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• With a vegetable peeler remove the zest from lemons and chop fine, reserving lemons for another use.
• In a food processor pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and zest until mixture resembles coarse meal and transfer to a large bowl.
• In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture. If using dried fruit, add to flour mixture.
• In another small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
• On a well-floured surface with floured hands pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter) and with a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a glass dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden.
• Serve scones warm with crème fraîche or whipped cream. Scones keep, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, chilled, 1 day or frozen 1 week.