Cranberry Pecan Scones

Scones are a beautiful thing...when you have the right recipe.  They should be rich and buttery; with a soft, crumbly interior and a delicately-crisp exterior.  So why, then, is it near impossible, to find really delicious scones?

My day started by searching the internet for Christmas cookie recipes, which then turned into a scone recipe hunt (mind-changing happens often when you have the World-Wide Web at your fingertips, and that day was no different).  So, I quickly amended my quest. I was now looking for a scone recipe that would use up the last bit of yogurt in my fridge, and one that incorporated pecans and cranberries. I had just bought some cranberries that were exceptionally soft and fresh and were begging to be made into something worthy; scones with cranberries and pecans would fit the bill perfectly.

The recipe below, which I found at www.fannetasticfood.com, is the one that won over the dozens I perused.  The recipe did not call for pecans, so I added a handful—and they made the scones, in my humble opinion.

Cranberry Pecan Scones

Adapted from Fannetastic Food Blog

Ingredients:

(makes 8 scones)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tbsp. cold butter
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
• 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup organic plain yogurt—I used 2%

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

1.    Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2.    Add in the butter, slice by slice, cutting with a pastry cutter.

3.    Stir in the dried fruit, pecans and the yogurt.

4.    Form dough into a ball, place on a greased/cooking sprayed baking sheet and pat down into a circle about 1/2 to 1/4 inches thick.

5.    Sprinkle with sugar and cut into 8 segments.

6.    Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until edges are slightly crisp and the top is lightly browned.