Cranberry Tangerine Scones

I love scones. I like them in the same way that I like tea sandwiches and petit fours in that I think that I've read too much Henry James (and who can forget the first page of Portrait of a Lady?) and maybe I like the idea of scones more than I actually like scones. No, what I realized when I ate these scones is that I really do love scones -- they're the perfect vehicle for clotted cream and jam or marmalade. This reminds me of the time my friend Kirsten put a mildly depressing spin on clotted cream at one of her bridal showers. You see, it was a tea party and there were all of the requisite elements, including scones and clotted cream. Any time she wanted more cream for her scones she'd ask me to "please pass the lard." And I'd say, you mean the cream? And she'd reply, yes, the lard. My response? I just put a very healthy dollop of clotted cream on my scone and ate on. I guess that all of the stress about fitting into a wedding dress will make you do crazy things, like freak out things like calories and clotted cream.

These scones were delicious. I made them to use up the rest of my tangerines and now I'm sad that I can't make more. The only change that I would make would be to steep the dried cranberries in hot water for a bit first so that they're not quite as tough but other than that I thought that they were fantastic.



Cranberry Tangerine Scones
Epicurious

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated tangerine peel
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, peel, baking powder, and salt in bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter. Using fingertips, rub in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in cranberries.

Whisk crème fraîche, tangerine juice, and egg in medium bowl to blend. Gradually add to flour mixture, using fork to toss until moist clumps form. Knead dough briefly on lightly floured surface until smooth. Pat dough into 8-inch round. Cut into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made up to 1 month ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil; freeze. Serve at room temperature.)