Blackbery Orange Scones

By TPMay

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3-cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one orange
• 1 small container fresh blackberries, frozen

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or sturdy fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Mix the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and orange zest into the dry mixture until almost combined. Stir in the blackberries just until the mixture starts to come together but is still crumbly.
Pour mixture onto a floured surfaced, gently knead dough four to five times and shape into an 8-inch disc. The dough may still seem a bit loose but should not be overworked.
Cut the disc into eight triangular wedges and place onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each scone with milk.
Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown. After the scones have cooled slightly, enjoy as is or finish with the following orange glaze.
Optional Glaze:
Mix 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice with about 1 cup powdered sugar to combine. Drizzle over slightly warm scones.
*It is much easier to work berries into the dough if you freeze the berries before mixing them in. I simply place them in a single layer on a flat plate covered with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer the night before. The frozen berries not only stay more intact when mixing in, but they also help to keep the butter cold, which makes for a flakier scone.