Tender Orange Scones with Glaze

I was in my early twenties and I had never eaten a proper scone. My initial encounters had all been tasteless affairs: coffee-chain-store scones that crumbled all over my lap when I bit into them and left me frantically guzzling down coffee as I tried to swallow the dry, sugary pieces. I took to eating muffins and banana bread and wrote off scones entirely.

All that changed one crisp fall day back in 1998, when I was working the morning shift at the Blue Heron. We were in between rushes, and I was quickly trying to slurp down my iced vanilla latte before the next line of people marched in. Colleen, the owner and baker, pulled out a baking tray from the oven, and I’ll never forget that sight. Beautiful, creamy white triangles glittered with sugar and speckled with orange zest made their way to the wire racks. The flaky, buttery layers called to me, and I decided I owed them another chance. One blessed bite later I was hooked for life.

These buttery orange scones are flaky and tender, with delicate orange flavor. For even more orange flavor, you can add a tablespoon of triple sec to the icing, or a teaspoon of orange extract to the wet ingredients. The recipe includes folding the dough over several times to create multiple flaky layers, which helps the scones bake up tall and lofty. A drizzle of icing to the scones while still warm helps keep the scones stay tender for hours after baking.

Tender Orange Scones with Glaze

Servings: 8 scones

These buttery orange scones have beautiful flaky layers, tender centers, and plenty of bright citrus flavor. A simple folding technique gives them their lovely height, while sour cream keeps them soft and a sweet orange glaze finishes them off.

Sarah Kieffer

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup  [60 g] sour cream or crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup [60 g] orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups [320 g] all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup [50 g] granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 12 tablespoons [1 1/2 sticks or 170 g] unsalted butter, cold, and cut into 1/2 in [12 mm] pieces
• Heavy cream, for brushing

Orange Icing

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 to 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups [180 g] confectioners' sugar

Instructions

For the scones

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the crème fraîche, orange juice, egg, yolk, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead four to six times, until the dough comes together, adding more flour as necessary if the dough is sticky. Pat the dough gently into a square and roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square, dusting with flour as necessary. Fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. Fold the dough in thirds again by folding in the short ends, making a square. Transfer it to the prepared sheet pan and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes. You can watch a video here to see how to do this step.
• Return the dough to the floured surface, roll it into a 12 in [30.5 cm] square, and fold it in thirds. Turn over the dough so it’s seam-side-down, and gently roll out the dough into a 12 by 4 in [30.5 by 10 cm] rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut it crosswise into four equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Transfer the scones to the prepared sheet pan and freeze the scones while the oven is preheating.
• Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F [190C]. Stack the sheet pan with scones on another sheet pan. Brush the tops of the triangles with a little heavy cream, making sure it doesn’t drip down the sides. Bake until the tops and bottoms are light golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, 18 to 25 minutes.

For the icing

• While the scones are baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, 2 tablespoons orange juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and use a spatula to mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more juice, one tablespoon at a time, to thin the icing to your preferred consistency; the icing should be thick but pourable.
• Transfer the top sheet pan to a wire rack and ice the scones immediately, using the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Scones are best eaten the same day they are made.