Cranberry Scones

Everyone likes scones, don't they?  That soft, buttery baked good, which you can't resist snatching off the cooling rack while they're still warm (well, hubby and I can't anyway!).  Slather your favourite jam on it for breakfast or just about any time of day, when you need a little bit of comfort.  The wonderful thing about scones are that once you've got the basic dough you can add just about anything to change them from sweet to savoury; dried fruit, herbs and spices, cheese.....the list can go on.  I've given you below the basic recipe, but today I doubled it so that I could take some around to friends with a small jar of homemade jam.

Cranberry Scones
makes 12-18 depending on size

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
4 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter - cold, cut into cubes
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg - beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries

• preheat oven to 400 F.
• in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter and either by hand or with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• add the milk, beaten egg, vanilla and cranberries and mix (I use my stand mixer), until all the flour is combined and you're left with a fairly stiff dough.
• divide the dough into two or three equal portions and form each into a disc, flattened to about 3/4 inch.
• cut each disc into six 'pie' slices and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet.
• bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown; transfer to cooling racks and try not to eat them all before they cool down completely :o)

 ingredients.

the butter needs to be cold so that you can end up with....

.....this, once it's been cut in.

add everything else and mix.

at first it might seem a little sticky, but it will come together into a dough.

I doubled the recipe today to get four discs.

cut into 'pie' slices.

space slightly apart because they do grow a little.

 let them cool.

light and fluffy inside....delicious.