Easy and Delicious Orange Scones
This staple scone recipe produces fluffy and soft scones that have a beautiful citrus flavor that marries with the sweetness of the dough. These are great fresh and can be stored and baked later. Elevate breakfast with these crowd pleasing scones.
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Orange Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the scones
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, save the oranges for the juice needed for the glaze
- 12 tablespoons salted butter, if you use unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon
Orange Glaze
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
Instructions
Orange Scones
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and sour cream together.
- Pour sugar in another small bowl and press the orange zest into the sugar until combined. Once combined, add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture and mix.
- Add the frozen butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork. Work it in well or until the mixture is pea-sized.
- Stir in the egg/sour cream mixture with a wooden spoon or with your hands until thoroughly combined and it forms into a ball.
- Divide the dough in half. Place balls on lightly floured surface and roll or pat them into a 6-inch circle. Don’t roll it too thin or they will dry out. Cut each circle into 6-8 wedges. We prefer 6 wedges so we can have bigger scones.
- Put scones on a parchment lined baking sheet. Keep the scones from touching as they will grow in the oven. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the scones bake, make the glaze.
Orange Glaze
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, melted butter, and vanilla together.
- Add more powdered sugar or milk to create the consistency you want. If it’s too thin, add some powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add milk (one tablespoon at a time) until it’s the consistency you are looking for.
Notes
- Freeze grated butter to get a fluffier texture for your baked scone
- Grate butter with a box grater or in a food processor for easy combining
- To Freeze: make your scone dough, roll it, and cut it into wedges. Flash freeze your wedges for 30 minutes. Place them in a ziplock and freeze for up to a month. When you want to eat them, pull them out and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet for 1 hour as the oven preheats. Bake according to the instructions.
- To Refrigerate: You can make this dough and refrigerate it in dough balls for up to 3 days. Wrap the dough balls tightly with saran wrap. When you are ready to use, pull them out and roll/slice the dough according to the instructions.
- Substitute 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or yogurt for the sour cream
- Substitute maple sugar for the white sugar to make these healthier and add a depth of flavor