I never imagined that I would be raving about dried grapes, but here I am. After discovering the jumbo mixed raisins at Sigona’s, I can’t get enough of them. They’re by far the best I’ve ever had – pretty, plump and packed with flavor.
Jumbo mixed raisins are a convenient snack or versatile ingredient for cooking and baking. If you lack access to the product, don’t let that stop you from tackling this recipe. Use any kind of dried fruit (like cherries, cranberries or currants) when making orange raisin scones. They will turn out great … I guarantee it.
Orange raisin scones are delicious on their own with coffee or tea. But the pastries would also work well as part of a breakfast or brunch spread.
Orange Raisin Scones
Makes 8 scones
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 8 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, grated
- ½ cup buttermilk (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 egg
- ½ cup jumbo mixed raisins
Finish:
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Orange glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Instructions
Make and bake the scones:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest. Add the butter and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, orange juice and egg; mix well.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the raisins.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into an 8" circle. Cut dough into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush tops of scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice and zest until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.
Notes
I rarely buy buttermilk because it's so easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand. Just pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to hit the 1-cup line. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until curdled.
It looks super tasty. Why are you using buttermilk? Is it better option than milk?
The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, which helps the dough rise.