With the recent visit of Hurricane Sandy to the east coast, our mild life
has taken a battering. Although we were not a direct hit (in fact we were only
skirted), she managed to wash out the road home and take a few houses into the
sea, relegating us to an extra two-and-a-half hour ferry ride across the sound
to get home. This changed the usual 2.5 to 3 hour journey between the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach into a 6-8 hour trip (or more depending on ferry
lines).
It wouldn’t have matter much, except I’d gone to Virginia Beach to do some fill-in work right before Sandy and
ended up stuck there for an extra week. Since I was stranded without work or
demands, I filled my time with alternate activities (drawing, baking, writing,
daydreaming).
I’d been eyeing the fresh cranberries in the grocery store and picked up a
package wondering what I could do with them. I scoured the internet and peeked in my fridge and decided I’d attempt a batch
of scones. Mind you, not the scones you find in Starbucks or even at most
bakeries. I wanted something that was just a teeny bit sweet with distinct
flavors.
Fresh Cranberry and Lime Scones
These scones have just a hint of sweetness. Especially tasty served warm
with a pat of butter. I used almost all organic ingredients.
Yield: 8 scones
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sucanat (could also use brown sugar here)
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped (I just cut in halves)
2 tablespoons freshly grated lime zest (about 2 small limes)
1/2 cup unsalted cold butter
1 cup yogurt (use vanilla or flavored for added sweetness)
1 cold egg
2 tablespoons sanding sugar or granulated sugar, to top, if you want extra
sweetness
Directions:Position rack in the center of the oven
and preheat oven to 350F.
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sucanat until
just combined. Stir in lime zest and cranberries.
Grate the butter over top of the mixed dry ingredients. Mix until the
butter is slightly broken down and pea-sized pieces are still visible (I
used my hands here). In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt and
egg until well mixed. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour-butter mixture and
stir just until the dough comes together. It’s okay if there’s a little loose
flour at the bottom of the bowl.
Dump dough onto a clean counter top and pat into an 8-inch circle about an
inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges and lay each wedge separate onto a baking
sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until they’re golden brown on the
top and around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
