Let’s talk about a few things I’ll never understand.
First up: Ben as the Bachelor. I really don’t get it — not even a little.
Next: fruit served as dessert. If it’s just fruit, it’s not dessert to me. Unless it’s drenched in chocolate or something indulgent, I won’t accept it as dessert. At best, it’s a snack.
And finally: dry, crumbly pastry. I just can’t get behind that texture.
Now…meet this sugar: blood orange sugar. I’m so taken with it I half-joke about using it as a body scrub — though I’d likely eat most of it before any exfoliation happened. At the very least, it’ll exfoliate the taste buds.
Believe it or not, these are now my favorite scones, even ahead of my brown sugar bacon scones and almond joy scones. That sounds extreme coming from a former scone skeptic, but these are refreshingly sweet, fluffy yet dense, citrusy and chewy — all at once.
They’re so mouth-puckeringly delicious I ate two right away and burned the roof of my mouth. I probably should learn to wait, but patience is not my strong suit when scones are warm.
I had a third after remembering the topping I’d made — obviously you can’t share without a proper taste test.
The glaze is all-natural — no artificial color. It’s simply blood orange juice, which turns a beautiful pink. I’m a sucker for that hue; yes, it’s a bit cliché, but it’s irresistible.
This would also make a lovely Valentine’s Day breakfast, snack, or edible gift. The color makes it festive, and since blood oranges are seasonal, enjoy them while you can — I’ll gladly help you eat them.
Blood Orange Sugared Scones
Makes about 16 scones
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 blood oranges, zested
Melted butter, for brushing
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar with about half of the grated orange zest and rub together with your fingers until fragrant.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, orange sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, and half of the remaining orange zest. Add the juice from half a blood orange and mix until a dough forms, using your hands to bring it together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
Divide the dough in half and pat each portion into a 7-inch round. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the remaining orange zest. Brush each round with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with the orange sugar. Cut each round into 6 or 8 wedges, or use a biscuit cutter for rounds.
Bake wedges for 12–14 minutes or rounds for 9–11 minutes, until golden. Finish with the blood orange glaze.
Note: If blood oranges aren’t available, regular oranges can be used instead.
Blood Orange Glaze
The juice of one blood orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Whisk the juice, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Adjust with more juice or powdered sugar as needed to reach the desired consistency. Pour the glaze over hot scones.
My soul is basically stuck in that scone.