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Sometimes I come to write about a new recipe and I freeze. Iโm not sure what to say or what to disclose or what to tell. Sometimes, a lot of the times, I want to tell you everything: my dreams, my drama, my stress, the parking ticket. But I donโt. I hold back most times. Mainly because Iโm somewhat of a private person, I realize. I kind of want my struggles to be mine, I want to swallow them and hopefully make something out of them.
Sometimes I wonder if thatโs a bad trait, or maybe itโs just a bad trait when you have a blog, which can often times become like another version of a reality television show. Iโm not interested in that route.
I mean, itโs taken me years to tell my friends everything thatโs going on in my lifeโitโs not easy. I find it easier to be the listener, the friend who nods and gives advice. Iโm much better at that.
I think Iโve struggled with this the entire time Iโve had this blog. What is too much. How much should I share. Also, one thing I would never want to do is use my life with others, my relationships with them and just exploit that for likes, comments, attention. That would feel awful. Some things should be sacred and private and belong to people.
I would be a terrible famous person!
The thing that I want to make above all else when life is a little unkind is a biscuit. A warm biscuit and jam and butter. OMG HELLO! What else could take my worries away? Nothing.
But Iโve made a lot of biscuits on this blog so I decided to turn to the biscuitโs English cousin: the-often-times-dry-ass-scone. Itโs true. So many scones are dry. But not these.
Theyโre not biscuits, theyโre scones. Theyโre supposed to be denser and crispier but they should also be soft and layered on the inside. These are laced with crunchy poppy seeds and zest from blood oranges.
And yes, I know, Iโve used blood oranges WAY too much this season but itโs so hard not to! DAT COLOR!
The glaze is a my favorite part. It makes a scone that isnโt dry, even better.
Thereโs something about the process of setting out a few ingredients and grating the butter, mixing, throwing out the dough that seems to be a potion for therapy. It gives me time to mull and think and mull and think. Have you tried this? I think you should.
Blood Orange Poppy Seed Scones
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 blood orange, zested and juiced, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
- 1 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing on the scones before baking
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Juice from 1 blood orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and blood orange zest. Rub the two together until you can really smell the blood orange zest and itโs evenly distributed throughout the sugar. Whisk in the all-purpose flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt.
- Using a box grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients and mix quickly, breaking up the butter so itโs broken up into pea-sized bits throughout.
- Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, mix it together until it forms a shaggy ball. Drop the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead a few times, being sure to not over handle it, which will result in tough scones. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch- thick disc. Using a knife, cut the scones into 6 equal triangles. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and put in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
- Brush the tops with buttermilk and transfer the scones to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean and the scones are golden brown.
- While the scones are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with the juice from the one blood orange. Since all blood oranges are a different size (I got about 1 tablespoon of blood orange juice) you may need to add a bit more juice or a splash of milk to get it to the right texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were a delicious breakfast pastry that brightened up the morning. Do you have any recommendations for how to make the scone a little denser and more crumbly? I love your blog! Thanks.
Hi Anna, Hmm to make a denser scone? I feel like you could add less butter? But I’m not positive, sorry!