As the continues to weather cool down and the nights become downright chilly, we’re excited for any excuse to turn our ovens on in the morning and cook up a great breakfast! Winter is fast approaching and we’ve been experimenting in the Lifeway Kitchen with a few of our favorite seasonal flavors – Cranberry Crème Brûlée and Eggnog (currently available in stores – ask your dairy manager to order some for you)!
If you ask us, nothing goes better with a hot cup of coffee or tea on a lazy weekend morning than the perfect scone. Our Cranberry Orange Kefir scones are golden brown and slightly crunchy, tender, moist and hearty on the inside. Even better, the can be made the night before and baked straight from the freezer! How easy is that?
We used our seasonal Lowfat Cranberry Crème Brûlée kefir in this recipe, but feel free to substitute any kefir flavor you have on hand (our Lowfat Pumpkin Spice Kefir will make a debut soon in a version of these soon).
Cranberry Orange Kefir Scones with Orange Glaze
Adapted from: Ashley Marie’s Kitchen
Yield: 8 (or 16) scones
Scones
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 4 Tbsp very cold unsalted butter, grated/finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (heaping)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup Lifeway Lowfat Cranberry Crème Brûlée Kefir
- 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp warm water) – sub one large egg if you don’t have flax seed
Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp Lifeway Kefir1/4 teaspoon of orange zest
- Nuts, seeds, or dried berries for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, add one tablespoon of ground flax meal and three tablespoons of warm water. Mix with a fork and set in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to chill.
In a large bowl, sift flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. In a separate bowl, add sugar and orange zest. Mix the sugar and zest with your fingers until well combined. Add sugar mixture to the flour mixture and stir well. With two knives, a fork, a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add in the cranberries and stir to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the kefir and flax egg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and the kefir mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the dough just comes together, being mindful not to over mix. The dough will be sticky.
With floured hands, transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface (tip: dust wax or parchment paper with flour for easy clean up). Pat the dough into a round with a 1-inch thickness, spreading out from the center with the heel of your hand. If the dough is a bit shaggy you can knead it 3-4 times to further incorporate the ingredients.
Cut the dough into eight triangles and space the triangles out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate or freeze the scones for 30 minutes (the goal is to get/keep the butter as cold as possible). Alternately, you can roll the dough thinner into a rectangle and score into 16 triangles (see image below). Adjust baking time accordingly.
Once the oven is preheated and the scones are finished chilling, place them in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 15 -20 minutes until firm to the touch and cooked through. Allow to completely cool.
While the scones are cooling, prepare the orange glaze. In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar until there are no lumps. Slowly add the orange juice and zest, careful to remove any lumps. Once the scones are completely cool, pour or brush the glaze onto the scones. We’ve topped ours with goji berries.
*Again, feel free to substitute any flavor kefir of your liking, or to add nuts, seeds or other dried fruit in place of the cranberries.