FLAKY CRANBERRY SCONES

Flaky Cranberry Scones image

Crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, these scones studded with dried cranberries and lemon zest couldn't be more satisfying. They're also the ideal make-ahead treat, as the pastries have the best shape when baked from frozen. This recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum's " Rose's Baking Basics."

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes

Yield Makes 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
2 1/3 cups bread flour, preferably Gold Medal
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder, only an aluminum free variety
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon, loosely packed, finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes and refrigerated at least 30 minutes
1/3 cup dried cranberries, cut in half
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in center. Line a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap; line a baking sheet, preferably insulated, or a double layer of two baking sheets with parchment. Whip cream just until soft peaks form; refrigerate.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add butter cubes and, using a fork, toss to coat it with flour. Press butter cubes between your fingers to form very thin flakes. Stir in cranberries. Make a well in center. Pour whipped cream and honey into well; using a silicone spatula, stir flour mixture into cream mixture until ingredients are moistened.
Lightly knead dough in bowl just until it holds together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead a few times until dough is a little stretchy and can be shaped into a smooth disk.
Press dough evenly into prepared pan (or shape dough into a 9-inch disk, 3/4 inch thick, without using pan). Press in any loose cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Lift out disk of dough using plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, cut disk into 8 even wedges. Transfer to prepared sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. (Alternatively, wrap wedges individually and freeze.)
Bake 10 minutes, then rotate sheet and continue baking until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. (If baking frozen scones, bake 20 minutes, then rotate sheet, cover loosely with foil, and continue baking 10 minutes more.)
Transfer sheet to a wire rack. Using a pancake turner, transfer scones to another wire rack; let cool until warm or room temperature. Scones will be slightly moist. If you prefer a more traditional, drier scone, let sit, uncovered, overnight. Scones can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.