CRANBERRY SCONES WITH ALMOND CREAM

~ A Bountiful Kitchen

SCONES
1 c. fresh cranberries
1/4 c. sugar
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 T. sugar
6 T. butter, softened
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 egg, beaten
turbinado sugar
sugar

ALMOND CREAM
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray cookie sheet.

Wash cranberries and remove any shriveled berries. Chop and coarsely and place in bowl with 1/4 cup sugar, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Cut in softened butter. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and egg. Mix well. Add cranberries and any juice, kneading a few times until dough has gathered and forms a ball.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and pat into two 5-inch or one 10-inch circle, about one inch thick. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and cut each circle into eight wedges. Place wedges on greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden.

While scones are baking, prepare almond cream. Whip cream until it starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and extract, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form.

Remove scones from oven and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Serve with almond cream.

Makes eight large or sixteen small scones.

Notes: I use frozen cranberries, as they're what we always have on hand and happen to be easier to chop than fresh, and skip both the turbinado and granulated sugar sprinkled on top. Whipped cream takes shape faster if you put your bowl (a metal one) and beaters in the fridge or freezer to chill before you make your whipped cream. Better yet, get one of Pampered Chef's Whipped Cream Makers and have the whipped cream made in a few seconds without chilling bowls or beaters.