Orange Cream Scones

The bees are buzzing all around our orange tree and the blossoms are perfuming the air like the sweetest spring perfume. It's time to make a batch of Orange Cream Scones, drizzled in sweet orange glaze and perfect for a weekend breakfast.

Orange Cream Scones

Cream tea scones are one of my favorite things in the world especially when you get one hot out of the oven, broken open and slathered with jam and cream. King Arthur Flour has an amazing and easy recipe which I always make.

This past weekend however, with my kitchen windows wide open so that my entire kitchen smelled like orange blossoms, I tweaked the recipe by adding in fresh orange zest and orange blossom water in honor of spring.

Ingredients Needed for Orange Cream Scones

• Flour- all-purpose flour works great!
• Baking powder, salt & sugar - we are baking after all.
• Orange flower water - or if you don't have this you can use orange juice! I had Orange Flower Water on hand for cocktail making and you can find on Amazon. It's very affordable.
• Orange - zest and juice from a fresh orange.
• Cream - heavy whipping cream is what makes these cream scones rich and delicious!
• Powdered Sugar - for making a sweet glaze.

Baking with Orange Blossom Water

If you’ve never baked with orange blossom water, it’s a light and fragrant water flavored with fresh orange blossoms. It’s used a lot in Middle Eastern desserts and I happened to have a bottle from a cocktail I made at some point. If you don't feel inclined to purchase Orange Flower Water you can always just substitute a bit of orange juice. 

How to Make Cream Scones

1. Preheat & Prep- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Dry Ingredients - Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Wet Ingredients - add orange flower water, orange zest, then drizzle in the cream, tossing and stirring gently all the while and adding just enough to make a cohesive dough.
4. Prep the Dough - Lightly flour a clean work surface and form dough into two rounds. Brush each round with cream and cut each into 6 wedges.
5. Freeze - chill for 15 minutes.
6. Bake -  bake scones for 20-25 minutes, until they're just starting to brown.
7. Make the Glaze - whisk together powered sugar with orange flower water, orange juice and orange zest.
8. Cool & Glaze - Remove the scones from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Drizzle over scones and serve immediately.

Can You Make Scones Ahead?

Yes! If you are making these scones ahead just skip the glaze until serving. Store cooled scones airtight at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer storage. Before serving, place scones on a baking sheet, tent with aluminum foil, and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through. If scones are frozen, defrost at room temperature before reheating. Glaze and serve immediately.

These scones are heavenly. I dodged bees and snipped a few sacrificial branches from our orange tree for garnish. I couldn’t resist the smell of the freshly baked scones mixed with the orange blossoms. Later, I arranged them in a small vase and placed them in our bathroom. If you have the chance to bring fresh orange blossoms into your house, do it...and make these scones, they are truly delightful. 

More Baking Recipes You'll Love

• My Very Favorite Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Bourbon Brown Sugar Cakes
• Blueberry Muffin Coffee Cake
• Blueberry Crumb Muffins
• Strawberry Shortcakes
• Buttermilk Currant Scones
• Brown Sugar Blackberry Scones

If you make these scones, I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment in the space below letting me know how you like them and share on social #freutcake @freutcake so that I can see your scones. Happy Baking!

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Orange Blossom Cream Scones

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Orange blossom cream tea scones with an orange blossom glaze.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange flower water or orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 ⅓ cups heavy whipping cream (or less based on dough)
• additional heavy cream, for brushing on scones
• For the Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange flower water
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Sprinkle the orange flower water over the dry ingredients, mix in the orange zest, then drizzle in the cream, tossing and stirring gently all the while and adding just enough to make a cohesive dough. There shouldn't be any dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, but the dough shouldn't be particularly sticky, either.
4. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Divide the dough in half, and gently pat each half into a 5 ½" circle about ¾" thick.
5. Brush each circle with heavy cream.
6. Place the two circles of dough on the baking sheet, and cut each into 6 wedges. Pull the wedges apart a bit, leaving them in a circular pattern with about 1" space between each wedge.
7. For best rising, place the pan of scones into the freezer for 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 425°F.
8. Bake the chilled scones for 20-25 minutes, until they're starting to brown, and they're baked all the way through, without any wet dough in the center.
9. Remove the scones from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
10. While the scones cool, make the glaze. Mix powered sugar with orange flower water, orange juice and orange zest.
11. Drizzle over scones and serve immediately.
12. If you are making these scones ahead skip the glaze until serving. Store cooled scones airtight at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. To reheat; place scones on a baking sheet, tent with aluminum foil, and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.

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