California Holiday Morning Scones

(with a boozy glaze)

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Today we are talking about scones. But first, some clarification.

British Versus American Scones

Is there a difference, really? Yes. A huge difference.

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English scones are almost always round, tall, and plain. They are made with a handful of simple ingredients: flour, baking powder, a little sugar, butter, eggs (sometimes), milk, and occasionally sultanas or currants. Accompanied by butter, clotted cream, lemon curd, and preserves, these scones are eaten in the afternoon with a cup of tea.

American scones are usually triangular wedges. And the ingredient list? Well, more is more here. They have more butter and more sugar, plus add-ins like fruits, nuts, and extracts. Sometimes glaze or frosting is drizzled on top. Usually no extra accompaniments are served with this style of scone. They are eaten at breakfast with coffee or tea.

Which one is better? That’s like asking if one has a favorite child. Both styles are delicious, especially when warm. I am frequently disappointed when I have scones from a shop and it may be because scones are best when freshly baked and warm out of the oven, like at home.

This recipe is festive, freezer-friendly, and foolproof so be sure to save it for later! Make a double batch because you will want to have this around for the entire month of December.

Recipe

California Holiday Morning Scones

Yields 8 scones

Time: 1 hour

Warm, fragrant, and deliciously dotted with dried fruits, nuts, herbs, and citrus peel! These American-style scones are drizzled with a Cointreau-laced glaze (I mean, it is a holiday morning, right?). Thanks to An Edible Mosaic for the Christmas morning scone recipe inspiration.

These scones reflect the produce grown in California, but you can sub in other dried fruits and nuts that are more readily available to you. And yes, now that you’ve asked, I did use homemade vanilla extract (remember we made some earlier this year?).

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried)

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest

• 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest

• 6 Tbsp frozen butter, grated

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup dried Black Mission figs, chopped

• 1/4 cup California walnuts, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 to 3 Tbsp heavy cream for brushing

Glaze:

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 to 3 Tbsp Cointreau (or lemon/orange juice, or water)

Directions:

1. Tip the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and rosemary into a large bowl and whisk together.

2. Combine the sugar, lemon, and orange zest in a separate bowl. Rub the zests and sugar together to release some of the citrus oils. The sugar will be nicely scented.

3. Add sugar mixture to the flour mixture, along with the grated butter, cranberries, figs, and walnut. Stir to coat everything in flour.

4. Pour in the cream and vanilla. Stir together until the dough comes together and there are no large pockets of dry flour. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle and wrap in plastic wrap.

5. Place the wrapped dough in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. If you are prepping ahead, place the wrapped dough in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.

6. Preheat oven to 450 F/230 C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

7. Once the dough has been chilled, cut into 8 equal pieces. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with cream.

8. Bake for 15-ish minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

9. While the scones are cooling, combine the glaze ingredients. Start with 2 tablespoons of liquid and add more if needed. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones. Allow the glaze to set (or not) and eat!

What would go great with these scones? Coffee, of course!

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Tell Me

What style of scones are your favorite, British or American? And while we’re at it, how do you pronounce scones? I’d love to know.

Next week: we are diving into holiday cookies, SoCal style! See you next Friday.