- 3 Cups All- Purpose Flour
- 1/3 Cups Sugar (Extra Fine is Best)
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder (MAKE SURE IT IS FRESH)
- ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut into ½ Inch Pieces and Soften
- ¼ Cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Turbino Sugar
METHOD:
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in food processor until combined, about FIVE PULSES. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture looks like FINE crumbs with no visible butter, about TWENTY PULSES. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in cranberries and orange zest.
- Whisk milk , eggs, and orange extract together in second bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons milk mixture. (THIS IS CRUCIAL. SLOWLY add remaining milk mixture to flour mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold together until almost no dry bits of flour remain. IF YOU ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ADD MORE FLOUR, AND THIS RUINS THE SCONES.)
- Transfer dough to well-floured counter and gather into ball. With floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and free of cracks, TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY TIMES. Press gently to form disk. Using floured rolling pin, roll disk into 9-inch round, about 1 inch thick. Using floured 2- inch round cutter, stamp out rounds, re-coating cutter with flour if it begins to stick. Push down straight and do not twist. CUT SCONES OUT AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE. Arrange on prepared sheet about ½ inch apart. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is smooth. Roll out again and cut additional scones.
- Brush tops of scones with reserved milk mixture and sprinkle with turbine sugar. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until risen and golden brown. 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.