Cranberry Scones

For those of you who don’t know me IRL (that’s internet speak for “in real life”), you might not know that I spent six weeks studying abroad in Dublin the summer before my senior year of college. It still lives in my memory as the best consecutive six weeks of my life, mostly because it was six weeks of zero responsibility. Sure, I had to read some Irish books and write the occasional essay on them, but mostly my trip was about hanging out in pubs with the friendliest people on the planet, meeting friends who’d end up my lifelong pals, and traveling around a country teeming with greenery and Guinness. Sounds nice, eh?

One really cruel thing they do to you in Ireland is serve you a scone with Kerrygold butter and a cup of tea on your flight home, just to remind you of the incredible place you’re leaving. The only reason I didn’t cry when they served it to me is because I could barely keep my head up from exhaustion. Let’s just say I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep or sobriety during those six weeks.

Whenever I get a chance to relive that blissful experience, I take it. This recipe is just one of those moments.

On the menu:
Cranberry Scones
Makes 8
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup craisins, roughly chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until course crumbs and some larger pieces of butter remain. Stir in the craisins. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the cream until combined.

Dump dough onto a clean countertop or cutting board and knead 5 – 6 times, until the dough is one large sticky ball. Press the dough into an 8 inch round cake pan. Dump back onto the counter or cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 identical wedges.

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 11 – 15 minutes, or until the tops of the scones are brown. Let cool for around 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature alongside a nice, hot cup of Irish breakfast tea.