Orange Scones WIth Orange Glaze

It's winter, it's citrus time, it's time for orange scones.  And it's time for International Scone Week, hosted by the lovely Tandy from the blog Lavender and Lime.  She took over the mantle from Celia of Fig Jam & Lime Cordial.  This is where global cooks celebrate scones of every variety, once a year in August. 

I chose these orange scones from the book Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines.  Yep, that one - she and her hubby Chip are builders, decorators and cafe owners in Waco, Texas.  Brrrrr, that gives me a shiver each time I say it.  That whole mass siege/shootout/killing thing years ago ...  I've read very mixed reviews of her cookbooks, but anyways, these were quite delicious.  And there are other recipes I'd like to try.  

deliciously citrus-y

Makes 12:

ingredients:

300g./10.5 oz plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 large egg

180g./6.3 oz sour cream

110g./4 oz caster sugar or white sugar

1-2 tsp orange zest

180g./6.3 oz cold butter, cut into cubes  (unsalted if you wish)

Maple-Orange Glaze:

260g./9 oz icing sugar/powdered sugar

1-2 tsp orange zest

45g./1.5 oz butter, melted

3 Tbs fresh orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp maple syrup

Method:

Heat your oven to 200C/390F

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper

Grab a large mixing bowl, and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

Now grab a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg, then add the sour cream and give it a good whisk with the egg

The sugar and orange zest go into another small bowl, where you will press the zest into the sugar with the back of a spoon till well-mixed together

Now stir this zesty sugar into the flour mixture, and add the diced butter, which you will rub into the flour and sugar with your nicely clean and cool fingertips (or use a pastry cutter like I did) - Joanna says till it is 'pebble-like'!

Now stir in the eggy mix to this flour mix, and form a dough - guess what!  my dough was sooooo wet that I had to add a fair bit of flour to my hands, so I could make a nice little dough

Cut the dough in half, sprinkle flour on your bench/work surface, and shape into a 15cm/6 inch round, about 2cm/¾ inch thick

Cut the dough into 6 wedges, and place on the baking tray about 2cm apart

Now do the same with the other half of the dough - see Notes

Bake till nicely golden, about 13-15 minutes then cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before you place the rack over a tray, and pour/spoon your glaze over the tops of the scones

Which you have made by grabbing a medium mixing bowl, stirring the icing sugar and zest together, adding in the melted butter, orange juice, vanilla and maple syrup and whisking well

Eat on the same day if possible, not that that's a problem, but you can keep them for a couple of days in an airtight container

Notes:

Joanna says to freeze the butter, but it's not necessary - just chill it

Not sure why she suggests cutting the dough in half, then cutting into 6 wedges x 2.  I reckon you could just use a biscuit/cookie/scone cutter, or just cut the whole dough into 10 or 12 wedges, triangles, whatever

Also not sure why she calls it Maple Orange Glaze, as it only has a half teaspoon of maple syrup.  This makes a truckload of icing, but you won't regret it :=)

get whisking

stir the sugar and zest together

mix that butter into the flour

grab that pastry cutter ...

divvy up your dough

cut into wedges - or whatever shape you fancy

and bake at 200C for around 15 mins.

there was lots of icing!

oops!  Forgot to add this photo

#ISW2023 Lavender & Lime blog by Tandy Sinclair

(C.) Sherry M.