Cranberry Scones
Scones are simple and convenient to make, but to achieve a crispy exterior and soft interior with a tender texture, it's important to avoid overmixing, which can develop gluten. Properly made scones will rise significantly when baked. The higher they rise, the softer they will be.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix the low-gluten flour with sugar, salt, and aluminum-free baking powder until evenly combined.
Add the cold butter cut into small pieces.
Use a scraper to cut the butter into small bits and mix evenly with the flour.
Pour in the heavy cream.
Fold and mix with cutting motions. Avoid kneading to prevent gluten development.
Add enough heavy cream to just form a cohesive dough.
Add the chopped cranberries. Chopping makes it easier to mix them into the dough. Use pressing motions to incorporate; avoid kneading.
Roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Avoid leaving too many cranberries on the surface, as they may dry out during baking.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Chilling helps the flour and liquids bind better.
Use a 5-6 cm cutter to shape the dough. The dough should be about 1.6 cm thick.
This recipe yields about 8-10 scones.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake in the middle rack for about 18 minutes, until the surface is golden.