White Chocolate Orange Scones

Two things: 1. I cannot for the life of me make my brain think of citrus as a winter fruit, and 2. I have yet to master the perfect scone.

That being said, I am glad for whatever possessed me to make Citrus & White Chocolate Scones.

They're really good, even if I still don't feel that I can officially mark scones as another notch in my recipe box.

I think citrus is the ultimate flavor brightener, don't you? Ripe citrus is so cheery and fresh that it's hard to pass up whether I'm strolling by it at the produce store, the farmers market or right off a tree. But for some reason, citrus has filed itself in the "Summer" part of my mental fruit categories. {What? Don't you have one of those?}And yet, it's definitely at it's peak in the wintertime. Go figure.

Anyway, I think allowing citrus to make its way into my holiday baking was my way of solidifying that it does, indeed, have a place in the things we bake this time of year.

On another note: Scones. I'm not sure why, because really, they're not terribly complicated, but scones seem to elude me. I can bake you a slew of cookies, a towering layer cake, a rockin' pie {heck, even a pop tart!} but somehow, scones have not been an easy addition to my kitchen skill set.

I didn't used to care either way about them, to tell you the truth. But then, I happened to sample some scones on two different occasions that made me reconsider my position on the often-overlooked baked good.

Um, I totally used a fake leaf in this picture. From a plastic dollar store flower.

The problem for me? The texture. They're either too cakey or too dry or too crumbly, and I've yet to figure out what the magic technique/ingredient/spell is to get them to be just right.

But I have to say, despite the fact that I didn't consider these "perfect" texture-wise, they were most definitely enjoyable.

Not too sweet with just the right scent of citrus {in this case, tangerine}, these would make such a great addition to a tea party, a breakfast or a brunch. The unexpected hint spice from cardamom gives them a warmth that makes perfect sense to include these scones among your holiday buffet.

So, I'll most likely keep working on perfecting my scones, but in the meantime, these will certainly suffice. If you make them, tell me what you think of them! And if you happen to have the best scone recipe, feel free to send it my way... It'll be filed under, "Mission Complete". 🙂

Citrus & White Chocolate Scones
Adapted from Sunkist

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 {heaping} tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick {8 tablespoons} cold butter, diced
½ cup buttermilk
Zest of citrus from 1 tangerine {or orange, or lemon, or lime if you prefer}
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed juice from desired citrus
⅓ cup white chocolate chips

For Glaze:

¼ cup confectioners sugar
1-2 teaspoons citrus juice of your choice

Mix sugar & juice and whisk until desired consistency for drizzling is achieved.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a bowl {or blender} combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Mix well, or if using blender, pulse a few times. Blend in cold butter with a pastry blender, fork, or if using blender, pulse a few times until the mixture looks like Parmesan cheese.

3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg whites, vanilla extract and juice. Pour into dry mixture and mix until just incorporated {don't overmix}. The dough will be sticky and slightly wet.

4. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface {I actually did this part directly on my lined baking sheet for ease of transferring}. Working quickly with floured hands, knead it a few times lightly, adding flour if the dough is too wet. Pat it into about a 9 inch circle.

5. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the circle into twelve equal wedges. If you can separate them slightly so they have a little room between them when you place them onto the baking sheet. If not, that's ok, too. You'll just have to cut them again when they're halfway baked as they'll sort of bake together if they're not far enough. No biggie.

6. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. {Note: I ended up re-cutting mine at about the 15 minute mark to define the wedges. I think this is what made mine a little more cake-like with soft sides. You can do it however you'd like.}

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. If desired, drizzle with glaze. Serve warm with butter or clotted cream... or just eat them right off the tray. 🙂