Buttermilk Pecan Cranberry Scones

By cmschnettler

Ingredients

• 1 cup Diamond of California pecans
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 - 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from recipe.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 7-10 minutes. Let cool. Chop coarsely. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Add butter and orange zest. With your fingertips, 2 knives, or a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add pecans, cranberries, and buttermilk; stir with a fork just until the dry ingredients are moistened and dough holds together in a rough mass. 3. Scrape dough onto a generously floured work surface and knead gently about 10 times, until smooth. Divide dough into 2 equal portions; lightly pat each into a 6-7-inch-diameter circle 1-1/2 inches thick. Brush with cream, then sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to a large baking sheet, placing them 1/4 to 1/3 inch apart. Bake until scones are firm to the touch and golden, 16-18 minutes. Serve warm.