Coconut Lemon Scones

I love coconut so when I saw this recipe, Toasted Coconut Lemon Scones from Two Peas & Their Pod I had to make them.  These scones are so tender, loaded with coconut and a hint of lemon.  Delicious!
I did make a change to the recipe.  When making scones I like the shortcut of using a food processor.  I don't enjoy cutting the butter in the flour with a pastry blender, just takes too long.  Using the food processor helps get the butter evenly distributed in just seconds and when the butter melts while baking, it produces the air pockets that make scones so tender.  The trick is to use really cold butter.  These scones will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days but they are best the day they're made.  They also freeze well.  

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SCONES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• zest of one large lemon (should yield 1 Tablespoon for scones and 1/2 teaspoon for glaze)
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 
  
• 6 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 
  
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (If your lemon didn't give you enough juice you can use some water)
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes or coconut chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. In a large food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pulse a few times until mixed.  Add lemon zest, and coconut and pulse a couple times to incorporate. Add cubed butter and pulse (about 15-20 times) just until the butter resembles coarse meal, with a feel of larger butter lumps.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of heavy cream, lemon juice, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Using a spatula pour mixture over the ingredients in the food processor and pulse just until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead the dough to form two balls.  Form each ball into a 6" round circle.  Cut each circle into 6 triangles, 12 scones total.
5. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush scones lightly with the additional heavy cream. Bake scones for 13-15 minutes, or until scones are light brown. Cool scones on a wire cooling rack.
6. While the scones are cooling, make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. While the scones are still warm drizzle or frost the glaze over the scones and top with toasted coconut. 

12 Scones - Can store in airtight container for 2 days or freeze to enjoy later.

adapted recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

Mini Cranberry Orange Scones

I used to work at my cousin's coffee shop and she was the baker of the most delicious scones.  I no longer work or live close by so I don't get to enjoy her scones very often.  The scones that I've tried at our local coffee shops always fall short, they're dry and not flavorful.  So, I set out to find a scone recipe that was flavorful, tender and would freeze well.  Well, this recipe is all that and easy to make.  I also like that right out of the freezer they take about 15 minutes to thaw and are ready to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

This recipe is slightly adapted from the wonderful blog, Pinch My Salt.

What makes this recipe quick and easy is using a food processor.

Make sure your butter is well chilled.

Pulse in the butter only until it's mixed in but still pea-sized clumps.

Dough will be sticky but turn out onto floured surface and use floured hand to knead into two 6 inch circles.

If you like a less sweet scone, these are great as is but for me I'll always go for the glaze!

Baked to perfection!

The glaze is thin and will dry and set so you'll be able to stack them in a container without them sticking together.

If you used a large orange like I did, you'll get to enjoy the extra fresh orange juice after you're all done.

After the glaze dries and sets you can stack them in a container to eat later or freeze them.  I do like to put parchment or wax paper between the layers when frozen so they won't stick together.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt *see note

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup half and half

zest of one orange, divided

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces and well chilled *see note

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice (from the zested orange)

1/2 teaspoon orange zest (reserved from above)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

2. In a food processor, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar by pulsing a few times.

3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg, half and half, and most of the orange zest (reserve about 1/2 teaspoon for the glaze); set aside.

4. Add cold butter pieces into the flour mixture and pulse 6-8 times, you want the butter to be pea-sized clumps within.

5. Add the cranberries and the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once and pulse until the mixture starts to clumps together. Dump mixture out onto a floured work surface and, with floured hands, gather into a ball and knead once or twice. If it’s quite sticky, just sprinkle a little extra flour on the counter and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking. Cut dough into two equal pieces and pat each into a 6 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each circle like a pie into 8 slices. Arrange scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before dipping in the glaze.

Glaze:

In a small bowl that is wide enough to dip a scone, combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons orange juice and the reserved orange zest. Whisk until smooth.  Put some waxed paper or foil underneath the cooling rack to catch dripping glaze. Dip tops of the scones in the glaze and place them (glaze side up) on the cooling rack. Once glaze is dry, scones can be stored in a container or freezer. If not eaten the day they are made, put them in the freezer.  Right out of the freezer they will thaw in about 15 minutes.

*  Sometimes I don't have unsalted butter so I'll use regular salted butter and just add a pinch of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon.

Mini Vanilla Bean Scones

This recipe comes from Ree-Pioneer Woman and they are delicious!  It took me forever to make this recipe because once I found out how much a vanilla bean costs (about $5-$7 each), I couldn't bring myself to buy three of them.  I searched every grocery store for the lowest price and  found them at Woodman's grocery store for $2.19 each and then at Costco for $11.99 for 10.  If you think ahead you can also buy them online for a good price.   I've made these scones several times and they are so worth it.  They are tender with a hit of vanilla and are slightly sweet from the glaze.  They freeze great and only take about 20 minutes to thaw so you can enjoy them with your morning coffee whenever you want to treat yourself.

Woodman's $2.19 each

Costco $11.99 for 10

The first time I made these scones I followed Ree's recipe exactly but then I tried to make it easier by using a food processor and then shaping them differently. I also don't make as much glaze as she does because she covers the whole scone in glaze and I just covered the top.  Sometimes my shortcuts don't work out but this time they did and the scones were just as good as the originals.  For whatever reason I don't enjoy the time it takes to cut the butter into the flour but a food processor does it in a snap with a few pulses.  Shaping the dough into 3 circles was easier than trying to get the dough into a large rectangle like Ree does.  She makes it look so easy as I saw her make these on her Food Network Show.  Check out her blog post for her recipe as she shows 31 step by step photos!

                                     

Put foil under the rack to catch the extra frosting for easy cleanup.

Scone Ingredients:

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2/3 cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 Pound) UNSALTED Butter, Chilled
• 1 whole Large Egg
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 whole Vanilla Beans

• Glaze Ingredients:

• 3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 1/4 cup Whole Milk, More If Needed For Thinning 
• 1 whole Vanilla Bean
• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla "caviar" inside. (Click here to see how to use a vanilla bean) Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

In a large food processor add Sift flour,  sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Cut cold butter into pats, then  add  to the flour mixture in the food processor.  Pulse until the butter in cut into the flour.

Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture;  pulse food processor until it comes together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divid into 3 equal portions.   Using your hands Lightly press each portion and form into three circles about 1/2 inch thick.  Then using a knife or I like to use a pizza cutter, cut each circle into 8 pieces. 

Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more milk if necessary to get the right consistency. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.  You'll want consistency to be thin enough (but not too thin) to dunk  top of scone into glaze and then let excess drip off.  

One at a time, carefully dunk top of each cooled scone in the glaze.  Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, the glaze will be dry to the touch, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed or freeze using wax or parchment paper between layers so you can easily remove and they won't stick together.  ENJOY!

Makes 24 scones