Christmas Scones

These scones are wonderful for breakfast during the holidays.  Try them with fresh cranberries when available.

These tender/crumbly, full-flavored scones feature dried cranberries and pecans. With oats in the dough, they're a tasty throwback to their Scottish origins.
These could be good with a lemon glaze fresh out of the oven. Just mix a little lemon juice with some powdered sugar instead of sprinkling sugar on it.

2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced pecans
1 -1¼ cup buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt
          (Start with 1 cup, add more if needed)
coarse sparkling sugar for topping, or lemon glaze (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks unevenly crumbly. Mix in the fruit and nuts until they're evenly distributed. Stir in the buttermilk starting with 1 cup and adding a bit more as needed.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and cut it into two pieces. (Keep sprinkling on flour if you need to.) Form each into a disk, and gently pat each disk into a round about 6" in diameter. Sprinkle each disk with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. With a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the round into 8 wedges. Do this by cutting straight down through the dough so you shear the edges. If you saw the dough, you tend to press the edges together, which keeps the scones from rising as they bake. Don't separate the wedges.

Transfer the scones, still in their circular shape, to the prepared baking sheet. Separate the scones slightly; there should be about 1" between them at the outside edge. (Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.) Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until they're just beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve warm. Or reheat for 10 minutes, lightly tented with foil, in a preheated 350°F oven. Serve with traditional clotted cream or Devon cream, if desired.
Yield: 16 tea scones.

From King Arthur website: Christmas Scones