Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a delicious dessert to share. Right around this time of year, I CRAVE cranberries. I want them in everything. Other people go seeking out pumpkin spice, I look for cranberries. I've already made some cranberry oatmeal cookies, but I wanted to try something new.
But before I get to the recipe, I have to share a photo or from a beautiful day we had here. It was probably the last sunny we day before it turned GLOOMY. And when I say gloomy, I mean it. Dark at 7AM, lightens up to dreary at noon, and dark by 4:30. We were just at the park and it was pitch black at 4:45. That's just unnatural, I'm telling you.
But this day, this one day last week, was marvelous! So much light and color! I got some beautiful pictures of all the kids. One at a time, and all together.
I hope one of them will become a Christmas card... if I can get through my " to do" list in time!
Preheat the oven to 375F
The ingredients for the scones:
2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs orange zest
5 tbs chilled butter
1.5 cups cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 cup whipping cream
The orange drizzle:
3 tbs butter
1.5 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs orange juice
So, as I said... cranberries. Delicious and packed full of antioxidants, and are high in fiber,vitamin C and K. Mine were frozen and a lot easier to chop.
MMM. Dried apricots. I sent my teens to the store to get dried apricots but didn't specify how much. Instead of calling, they returned with two giant bags. YUMMY. I could hardly be mad, since they were so delicious. We snacked on them for a few days, completely ignoring our apples and pears.
Mix the cranberries and apricots together.
Add dry ingredients and cut in the chilled butter.
Add the cream to the fruit.
Looks terrible. I have faith this will be great! If it's not... I shall cry lots of tears.
Mix in the dry ingredients with the fruit. I think we over stirred because it turned pink!
Make 1 inch think disks.
Hmmm... It smells delicious but I wasn't sure how this was going to taste.
Cut it like a pizza.
Lay out several inches apart.
Crossing my fingers! Into the oven they go. Bake for 15 minutes. I checked them at ten and them seemed done, but I wanted to make sure they didn't fall to pieces, so I gave them another few minutes.
With the orange drizzle...
AMAZING! Even the pickiest eaters enjoyed these. My husband, who doesn't like sweets, thought they were really good. I think scones are more like pan dulce or the sweet bread he's used to. Also, the dried fruit gave it such a satisfying texture. Scones are soft and buttery, and the dried fruit was a great counterpoint.
That's all for now! My friend Christalee sent me this bowl because it matches my kitchen. Isn't it adorable?? My kids are calling it my new coffee cup. LOL
Yum -- this sounds divine!!!!!! I love the combo of cranberry and orange. Alas, I just used the last of my fresh cranberries from the Farmer's Market to make cranberry oat bars. Still enjoying them. Happy sigh.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are gorgeous. We've had an unusually warm and sunny November. I've really been enjoying it. Trying to get all my gardening done before the snow flies.
I am blessing this weather because I was behind (as always!) and the extra time is giving me time to put farm stuff away, and put Christmas fun out before the rains/snows come again. I'm not rushing the season, it's a finally-got-smart if you've got yard decorations, thing! And Mary and Joseph do have a Long Trek to Bethlehem!!! :) And yeah, Virginia's pics are light-filled... they just make me smile!
DeleteWe buy cranberries from the local Native American reservation here. The Chinook tribe harvests cranberries and it gives us a local option to the bigger businesses. (We're all about local. Love the Farmer's Markets!)
DeleteAnd isn't cranberry orange the best combo??
We had a great two hour hike in the hills above the city yesterday because it wasn't forty degrees (I know, I'm a wimp). But today it's back down, windy, rainy and I'm so glad we went out there when we did!
DeleteI love dried apricots and cranberries and scones, so this recipe is heaven for me.
ReplyDeleteWell actually it's torture because I'm on a tight deadline (tomorrow!) so I don't have time to bake them right now.
Sounds like a good Met-the-deadline reward though.
And wouldn't they be fun for a pre-Thanksgiving yumminess session?????? I'm all in!
DeleteOOOh, good luck on the deadline! I'm on "vacation" right now. :) If I had any left, I'd try to send you some. They seem to keep really well... of course, our double batch was gone in three days, but some cookies are hard and stale after a day. These seemed to keep so well, just on a plate.
DeleteRuthy, that is a great idea!
DeleteYou may have totally sold me on scones! I've never been a scone or biscotti fan, they tend to be too dry for my liking, but studded with fruit like this, my friend.... And orange/cranberry/apricots???? BE STILL MY HEART!!!! These don't look at all dry and the drizzle is making me wish I could pretend I don't need to be low carb for a few more weeks.... Virginia, this is wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteI've had some very bad scones. :P Maybe because they were too old, or maybe because they had too many preservatives, but I think the real butter, real fruit, and real cream helps make this completely delectable and soft.
DeleteI have to admit, the drizzle was AMAZING. I had to put it in a jar in the back of the fridge or I'd find myself taking a little taste with a spoon... just to "check if it's good". Unnnhhhh, after the third test, it's not a test. It's a taste!
Can you say "Thanksgiving morning breakfast"? These scones are perfect! And I love the orange drizzle.
ReplyDeleteI try to embrace the dark, dreary days. Perfect for writing, and reading.
But today we're having one of those bright sunny spectaculars (before the cold weather starts rolling in. Yes, I'm soaking it in :)
Yes, we just had one yesterday! And today is gloomy and dark and awful. Honestly... It's pretty bad. But the kids have a blanket fort going on in the living room, while the older ones are out raking leaves. We've got our garden cleaned up so that part is done. And I bought decorations for our Little Free Library, so we'll decorate that later today. :)
DeleteThank you again for this recipe....and for giving me a sneak peek! With cranberry and apricot, these scones just look like Christmas....and I can imagine they SMELL like Christmas with the perfect orange glaze. I'm definitely serving these for a Christmas tea. May I feature this recipe on my #TuesdayTea blog if I link back to Yankee-Belle and acknowledge your post?
ReplyDeleteOf course! Or, I think so. Better ask Ruthy! I think we're pretty relaxed and friendly about sharing all our posts here. :) And so nice to see you here, Sherida. I saw your scone post a few weeks ago and thought, "Great minds." :)
DeleteSince it's fine with Virginia, that would be great, Sherida! We'd love to have you share.
DeleteThank you, ladies!
DeleteOh my stars, yes!!!!! Did you see that cool facebook post about Mama's Cookie Recipe? She said she'd give it to folks "over her dead body!!!!".... and so they put it on the back of her tombstone! Hahahahahaha! We share everything here, you honor us, Sherida!!!!
DeleteThank you, Ruthy! You all are the true spirit of sharing....and I appreciate all of you....and your yummy recipes and great photos. I bought the ingredients today....but forgot CREAM. :( I'll plan another trip out after our blizzard. Hope everyone stays warm and safe as we dream of Christmas and Thanksgiving goodies. Blessings!
DeleteBeautiful fall color and beautiful kids!
ReplyDeleteI really want to try this. I keep seeing recipes for scones that look so good, but I've never eaten one that wasn't like sawdust. I think this recipe with cream will solve that! So I need to finally try to make some.
My sister makes a buttermilk scone that is just delicious but I've never been brave enough to try it. And I've also had quite a few scones that were NOT tasty, so I understand your reluctance. :)
DeleteRating this recipe for flavor, I'd give it a ten. Rating it for ease, definitely a ten. Aside from chopping the fruit, there really wasn't any prep work. So easy!
That was my experience too, Missy, I think the dry scones and clotted cream are a total Dry Brit Sense of Humor thing, with plenty of tea.... but looking at the pics and ingredients, these had a totally different look, and the apricots, oh be still my heart! :) I'm going to try these next weeks because my kids will think I'm far more upscale than I am, that I'm in tune with my husband's old English background, and that I'm cool. I am none of the above, but I love to cook!
DeleteI still haven't tried this, because *someone* around here ate all the dried apricots! But they're on my shopping list so I'll be making it soon. It sounds so very yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say your photos are gorgeous, too. We had sunny breaks today, which was a lovely respite in what-has-been and what-is-to-come rainy weeks.
DeleteHaha! I never knew how popular dried apricots could be until we got two bags by accident. Wow, they went fast!
DeleteI hadn't planned on taking any picture so all I had with me was my camera but I'm glad I took the time to have the kids pose. The light and the colors were just perfect! I'll crop and edit them a bit before I try to print them. *fingers crossed*
Okay, Virginia, just so you'll know, super easy and scones in the same sentence can be very hazardous to my health. I LOVE scones. And the cranberry-orange sounds divine, especially this time of year. Now I can't wait to make them.
ReplyDeleteGreat pix of the kids/fall landscape, too. :)