These scones are the first bit of non-cake experimenting I’ve done in a long a long while. They required two trials.

The first time I made these scones, they were okay right out of the oven. Buttery and slightly tangy, I thought I had found a winner. However, the next day, they were… less than stellar. It is common knowledge that scones are best the day they are made, but these second-day scones had turned into vessels for the overpowering taste of pure baking powder overnight.

The second trial, I tried a new recipe found on My Baking Addiction that called for 1/3 of the amount of baking powder in the first recipe, and they were great! Much lighter and crumbly-er (definitely a word, thank you) than their doughy older siblings. The second recipe also called for sour cream, which I’d never seen before in a scone, but I have no complaints! I liked the first glaze that I made so much that I made it again to garnish the second batch.

Orange Zest Scones
Yields 8 scones

1/3 cup sugar
zest of two medium oranges
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

In a bowl, mix zest and sugar and crumble with fingers until sugar is fragrant. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt.

Cut butter into small pieces and work into orange zest mixture with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until smooth. Stir into zest/butter mixture and stir until it begins to incorporate. Mix and press with hands until the dough comes together.

Roll dough into a 7 inch circle and use a sharp knife/pizza cutter to cut dough into 8 even triangles. Arrange one inch apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until scones begin brown slightly. Cool for ten minutes

Orange Zest Glaze
3 tablespoons of melted butter
3/4 cups powdered sugar
zest from one orange
a few teaspoons of orange juice

Whisk all ingredients together and spread on cooled scones.