RECIPE :: APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SCONES

you've heard me say it before, and I'll say it again--everything british is better. the only time I've ever actually set foot in britain was exploring the scottish countryside for a week with my mom several years ago. but within that week, I fell in love with the jargon, the manners, and the obsession with teatime. and maybe it's just my perception of britain, but what is more british or teatime-worthy than a scone. now, mitch's idea of a scone is yeasty and deep-fried and smothered in confectioners' sugar and in my house, we called that a beignet. my idea of a scone is something akin to an american biscuit, but much sweeter and way more moist. and honestly, you gotta throw some goods in there, if you know what I mean (ie :: cranberries). admittedly, I've crashed and burned a few times with scone creation, but I've tinkered around with it quite a bit and I think I've pretty much got it down to a science. though, I'm not sure it's british-teatime-worthy just yet. I'll let you decide. here's what you gotta do ::

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup (8 tbsp) butter

1/2 cup chilled apple cider

(I used homemade but only for the lack of store bought)

1 egg

method

one :: in a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, salt, and rising agents. 

two :: cut in butter. I used a pastry cutter to combine until the result looks like a "coarse meal," which you have most likely heard in every scone recipe you've ever read, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. be careful not to overmix, unless you're actually craving cookies because that's what you'll end up with.

three :: whisk together the egg and the chilled apple cider. pour over meal and, using your hands, scoop it into a ball. cover or wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least a half hour or overnight if you are making dough ahead of time. in the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

four :: pull ball of dough out of the fridge and simply press down until it makes a 3" thick disk that is probably 8" across in every direction. then, taking a knife or scraper, score into eight equal triangles. roll some parchment paper out onto your baking sheet and place evenly apart.

five :: place sheet in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until scones are just slightly brown on top. when finished, remove and enjoy warm. or, store in an airtight container. ours are still pretty good even after two days.

mitch and I were both pretty surprised at how long these little guys stayed moist. especially after experiencing several of my failed scone adventures in the past. and not to toot my own horn, but I don't know if it's the brown sugar, the egg, or the overnight rest time that I gave mine, but these are the moistest scones I have ever had. and with my british obsession, I've had quite a few scones in my day. can I just say again how moist they are?

and how has your week been? ours has been kind of wonderful, thus far. I talked to such an inspiring lady yesterday who made me question every outlook on life I've ever had and it has me feeling invigorated and empowered. we talked about how short these little moments are, when life seems hard. and in a few years, we'll look back and realize that these are the moments we draw upon. it really left me yearning to be more optimistic. have a great thursday and have I said thank you lately for reading this little blog? well, thanks.

love, arielle