Orange-Scented Scones, a Sweet Melissa Sundays Rewind

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays recipe is Pumpkin Bread Pudding, and it was chosen for us by Carmen of Baking is My Zen. I wasn't feeling the recipe (sorry, Carmen!) so I decided to skip this week. But then I visited my friend Tracey at Tracey's Culinary Adventures. Tracey is also skipping this week but she did a rewind. What a great idea!

I quickly checked out the page of completed recipes (you can find it here). I just joined the group a few months ago, so I've missed a lot of yummy things from the book. I decided on the orange-scented scones for several reasons:

1.  They're easy and fast
2.  I had all the ingredients the recipe calls for
3.  M. flipped for the last scones I made (you can find them here)
4.  The recipe only makes 6 scones

Well, I said I had everything the recipe called for and that's mostly true. Melissa calls for oat flour but gives instructions on how to make your own. I didn't have oat flour but made some in the food processor. The recipe then has you add the rest of the dry ingredients and pulse before adding cubed butter and pulsing until you reach the pea-sized pieces stage. But then Melissa tells us to finish the recipe in a bowl by adding the food processor ingredients to the wet ingredients.

I don't think so. Easy, lazy Sunday morning recipes don't require dirtying a bowl unnecessarily. So I measured out the cream and added the egg right into the measuring cup, gave it a few whirls with a fork and added it to the food processor. Pulse a few times and you're done!

I found the dough a tiny bit dry, so I'd add a little more cream next time, maybe another tablespoon. I cut mine out with my favorite cutter, a stylized heart that I bought on one of our trips to Paris. I finished them up with cream and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.

The scones were terrific. Light and flaky with delicate orange flavor and nice crunch from the sugar on top. I bet you have the ingredients in your kitchen if you want to make them right now!

Orange-Scented Scones (adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book)

Printable Recipe

2/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/12 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 2 oranges (or 1 if it's really big)
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
1 egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream (for brushing)
1 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the oats to a coarse flour. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and orange zest. Pulse several times to combine. Add the cold diced butter and pulse until the butter is the size of medium peas.

Measure the cream in a 1 cup measure and add the egg. Stir with a fork (or whisk) until combined. Add to the food processor. Pulse 5-6 times until almost combined.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Working with your hands, corral the ingredients together in a 7" circle. Cut into 6 wedges (or flour a decorative cutter and cut out shapes).

Place the scones on the prepared sheet pan and brush with the cream and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Scones are done when golden brown and set. Cool on a rack for a few minutes before serving. Makes 6 scones.