Triple orange scones

 

Every year I have to try at least one new recipe from the Taste holiday cookie contest. This year I tried the Aperol sparklers, which called for sweetened dehydrated oranges. I had a lot left over after baking the cookies and was looking for a way to use them up. This was my second attempt at making a scone recipe with them; the first turned out a tad dry and not worth sharing, but these have merit.

Triple orange scones

Adapted from a recipe for lemon poppy seed scones found on Epicurious that's been in my recipe collection long enough that it predates this blog. But I remember they were tasty. No sign that the Ledbetter's restaurant referenced as the source still exists in Monroe, Conn. But the recipe lives on, and it made a good base to riff on.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 orange
10 tablespoons cold butter
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons orange juice
A scant ⅓ cup milk
⅓ cup chopped dried, sweetened oranges (I used Trader Joe's)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Cut butter into small chunks and add to bowl. Pulse to combine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg and orange juice and add to bowl. Pulse briefly. Add milk in thirds, adding enough so mixture just comes together. 

Remove to a floured board. Press into an 8-inch circle. Sprinkle with chopped oranges and press into the dough. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet, placing well apart, because they will spread. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and firm to the touch. 

Rating: Definitely tasty, and reasonably moist. I'm considering buying more of the dried oranges just to make them again because that flavor really comes through. Maybe near next Christmas.

In the meantime, I clearly need to make the lemon poppy seed scone recipe again to refresh my memory.