St. James Easter Scones

Inspired by hot cross buns, our St. James Easter scones are a quick, elegant, and delicious addition to any brunch, holiday, or special teatime. Combining brown sugar, warm spices, tart cranberries, and fresh orange, these delightful scones will bring a festive touch to your table. These Easter scones pair perfectly with the fruity pomegranate notes of our Lady Day scented black tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) very cold butter, cut into 16 chunks
• 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or dried currants
• ¾ cup cold heavy cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice, or bottled orange juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest until the brown sugar is well distributed throughout the flour.
3. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use your fingers to distribute the butter if you don’t have a pastry blender, but you need to work quickly so the butter stays cold. If the butter begins to melt, return the mixture to the fridge and chill well.
4. Stir in the dried cranberries, raisins, or dried currants.
5. Use a fork and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract until evenly moistened, but be careful not to overwork the dough. Place dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
6. Use a ¼ cup spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop rounded mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet with about 2 inches of space in between. Cut a cross shape into the top of each scone, cutting down about ½ inch in both directions.
7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until beginning to turn golden brown. Allow to cool.
8. Whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice together until a thick, smooth frosting forms. If it’s runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. Drizzle the frosting along the cross lines on the top of the scones.

Enjoy!