Sourdough Christmas Scones are filled with all sorts of good things, and, because they use baking powder as the primary leavener, they don't require a rise time. Yes, the scones do use up some of your sourdough discard, and yes, they are a bit more "yeasty" and lighter than regular scones. Nonetheless, the Christmas scones are closer to traditional scones than to sourdough bread. The scones get texture from oats and are studded with dried cranberries, dried orange pieces, almonds, and chocolate bits. The scones also include a touch of pumpkin pie spice and orange zest that, as the scones bake, will combine to make your home smell incredibly good. The recipe makes 8 large scones, but I usually make 16 smaller ones--just right for sharing and, if there are any scones left over, for popping into the toaster later in the week.
Sourdough Christmas Scones -- Makes 8-16
1 cup of flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of quick oats
1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of chopped almonds
1/3 cup of mini-chocolate chips
1/3 cup of chopped dried orange pieces (mandarin orange from Trader Joe's is
what I use)
Zest of 1 medium orange (about 2 teaspoons)
Turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats, and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until you have some tiny pieces and some the size of peas. Stir in the sourdough starter/discard, the dried cranberries, the almonds, the chocolate chips, the dried orange pieces, and orange zest. Keep stirring until the dough comes together. Dump the dough out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-1-inch thick. Cut 4 large squares, then either cut the squares in half, to form 8 triangle-shaped scones or in quarters to make 16 small triangle-shaped scones. With damp hands, separate the scones and reshape them a little, if necessary. Position the scones on the baking sheet so that they are at least an inch apart. Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on the top of each scone. Bake the scones for 15-22 minutes (a little less for small scones, a little more for larger ones). Let the scones cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing them.
