Tea Time In Britain

I recently attended a baby shower where the guests were asked to bring tea time treats.  This recipe is not traditionally British.  Instead, it hails from Southern California...the Hotel Bel Air, to be exact.  But it yields flaky and delicious scones!

I've discovered that the secret to adding dried cranberries or currants is to chop them really finely into a mince.  That way, the flavor gets strewn throughout the pastry without ruining the delicacy of the dough.  I've also changed the methodology a bit in that I use a food processor.  It's so much faster this way.


Cranberry Orange Scones, largely taken from the Hotel Bel Air Airy Scone recipe

3 cups cake flour
2 T baking powder
2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 c whipping cream
1 c dried cranberries, chopped finely (optional)
zest of 1 orange (optional)
1 egg yolk, beaten with a little cream or milk
Clotted or Devonshire cream and best quality preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Sift together dry ingredients. Place into food processor with cold butter and pulse until ingredients are mealy.  Once the ingredients are mealy, continue pulsing while adding the cream, until the dough almost comes together.  Add the cranberries and orange zest, then pulse until the dough forms a mass. 

Place dough on floured surface and roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/4 rounds. Brush with egg yolk mixture, plan on parchment covered baking sheet, and bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown.