Earl Grey and Orange Scones

Remember those scones I mentioned earlier in the week? Well, I couldn't shake the thought of them, so yesterday afternoon I made them happen. Something you may not know about me: I love scones. Love, love, love them. I think I might even prefer them over (gasp!) cookies, and definitely over muffins. I love that they're not too sweet and that they don't try to be pretty and perfect. Scones hang out on the rustic side of the baking spectrum, perfectly happy being who they are with no false pretenses, yet they surprise you with an unexpected and understated sophistication. I've been wanting to bake with tea for some time, so I came up with the idea of pairing Earl Grey with orange. Delicious. The combination of yogurt and cream in these makes for a perfect moist on the inside/crisp on the outside texture combination. I'm glad the recipe only makes six and Dan happens to love scones, too.

                    2 cups white whole wheat all purpose flour 
                    1/3 cup sugar plus a little for sprinkling
                    1 teaspoon salt 
                    1 teaspoon baking powder 
                    1 teaspoon baking soda  
                    2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest 
                    2 teaspoons ground Earl Grey tea leaves 
                    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 
                    1/2 cup nonfat yogurt 
                    1/2 cup heavy cream

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400F.

Mix the first five (all the dry) ingredients into a medium bowl. Add the orange zest and the tea leaves, and combine well. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the mix. Then pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Whisk the yogurt and cream together in a small bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for several minutes, folding and flattening it several times. Pat the dough into an 8x4" rectangle, about 3/4" to 1" thick. Using a pasty cutter or pizza wheel, cut the dough into 6 equal triangles and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Place the scones on the baking sheet and bake on the center rack for 18-20 minutes. When finished, the scones will be golden brown.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
 
Makes 6 scones.