Cranberry-Lemon Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely pastry is my attempt to recreate one that appeared on a breakfast buffet while we were in Egypt. The Silver Fox and I were staying in Alexandria at a hotel where Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot would feel right at home. The art nouveau rooms were huge and the buffet tables that held meal selections were as opulent and florid as the rooms in which guests stayed. I can guarantee that Agatha and Hercule would have been indulged and overfed. Breakfast was a real eye opener, and even those whose usual repast was yogurt and oatmeal, could not pass the pastry table without adding at least one of the creations to their plates. The scones were my weakness and if you share my love for them, the cream scones I'm featuring tonight must be tried. In addition to being delicious, they have great eye appeal and, better still, they are ridiculously easy to make. The recipe is straightforward and departs from others like it only because it calls for briefly freezing the dough before it is cut and baked. As nearly as I can determine, this has nothing to due with technique and it's done strictly for the sake of appearance. I do hope you will try these scones. You can, of course, substitute orange zest for lemon, but having tried the scones made with both types of citrus, I must admit I like the lemon best. Here is how these wonderful scones are made.

Cinnamon-Raisin Cream Scones

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We so enjoyed the pancakes I made last week, that I decided to use the cinnamon-raisin combination to make scones this afternoon. We are at the lake today, staying with English friends who are on sabbatical this year.  Smoke from wild fires has settled over the valley and an inversion is preventing it from moving on. We were not in any danger, but the air is decidedly unpleasant. When an opportunity to stay at the lake developed, we had the car packed and were on our way within the hour. The cottage in which are friends are staying is only slightly larger than the lake house we usually rent. While it has the same terrible kitchen, we valley refuges have learned to make these tiny spaces work when we are in residence. Back to the scones. I decided to make the cream variety because they are simple to make and come together quickly. Once I had hydrated the raisin, I moved from the kitchen to the porch and finished making the scones on a picnic table. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare them and they were ready to eat thirty minute later. This is the type of recipe that will neither make or break your reputation as a cook. The scones are good and you will enjoy them, but you won't win any recipe contests with them. If you need an easy scone recipe for a brunch or tea, do give this truly simple recipe a try. Here is how they are made.