Cranberry Scones from Delfino Vineyards

 Delfino Vineyards in all its autumn glory.

We had a Think Local Umpqua advisory board retreat in the guest cottage at Delfino Vineyards.  It was a lovely setting and perfect for our purposes, with a good-sized dining room table to meet around.  I brought sliced apples, cheese cubes, and cookies for everyone to munch on, but the real treat was Terri Delfino's signature Cranberry Scones, still warm from the oven.  I made several kinds of scones when I baked for the farmers market;  lemon-ginger, cheddar & chive, maple-oatmeal, but I never used cranberries.  We're all in luck!  Terri generously shared the recipe and gave me permission to post it.  

These scones are perfect anytime, but would be especially nice if you have company coming for the holidays.  See my do-ahead tip after the recipe.  Oh, and don't forget about McKenzie Cranberries as a source for Oregon-grown and dried cranberries.  Even with shipping, they work out to less per pound than than those you can find at the grocery store and who knows where they came from.

Delfino Vineyards Bed & Breakfast

Guest Cottage

OUR SIGNATURE CRANBERRY SCONES
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter softened to room temperature
1 cup craisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1-2 teaspoons grated orange rind (from one orange)
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut butter into mixture until it becomes a coarse crumb texture. Stir in craisins or dried cranberries, nuts and orange rind. Make a whole in the middle and pour in buttermilk. Mix with a fork until moistened - don’t overmix but include loose flour. Flour hands and shape sticky dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured board. Pat into a circle about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces. Place on a buttered baking sheet approx. 1 inch apart. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Thank you, Terri!

Jennifer's do-ahead tip:  Scone dough (and biscuits) can be cut to desired shapes and frozen on a waxed paper-lined sheet pan until firm, then transferred to a freezer bag.  When ready to bake, place frozen scones on cookie sheet in preheated oven and give them an additional 3 to 5 minutes baking time.  This allows you to bake just a few at a time, as scones always taste best when still warm.