I took a day off work – a much needed day off work.  I was exhausted to the point of not being able to form a cohesive sentence and to add to it I had been a little sick.  I needed a day that demanded nothing from me and one that I could wake up and choose how I would spend it.   

I woke up missing home so I called my sister and chatted for a while and for some reason we started to talk about scones with clotted cream and jam.  I love scones.  Whenever we would go on a trip we would inevitably stop at a little café somewhere for tea and scones.  The cafés I love the most are the ones with mismatched chairs, chintzy tablecloths and little old ladies who really know how to bake a solidly good old classic British scone  

I am not a little old lady – just yet, however I decided scones are what I needed for my day off.  

Print Recipe

Cranberry Cream Scones

A reminder of the British countryside
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 10
Author: Joy of Cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries I added these dried cranberries soaked in lemon juice to give the scones a slightly sweeter taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil lightly greased.
  • In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.). I tend to use my hands to do this. Make sure your hands are really cold. In a small bowl whisk together the half-and-half, beaten egg and vanilla.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add this mixture and the cranberries to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat into a 7 inch round. Using a lightly floured 2 -3 inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Or, if you are like me and don’t have any round cookie cutters, use a glass.
  • Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. (This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking.) I only used half of the dough. I put the other half in the freezer for another time. Dough freezes very well, just make sure it is fully defrosted before you want to use it again.
  • Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

Notes

Serve with whipped cream, butter, cream cheese or your favorite jam. Or all of them if you so desire.
I enjoyed mine still warm (the best way) with cream cheese and strawberry jam and even though I was not in an English café with my sister, I was quite happy watching reruns of Law & Order indulging in a scone and coffee. They were everything I remembered them to be, which brought a smile to my face.    

Although scones are best the day they are made, even better while still warm, you can keep them covered and stored for a few days. They also freeze very well.