Scottish Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones

      These Scottish Cranberry Buttermilk Scones from grouprecipes.com are by far the best scones I have made in my dutch oven.  These airy scones are like billowy clouds drifting over Loch Lomond on a warm summer's day.  Like any scone or biscuit make sure your butter is ice cold and slice it into tiny pieces before cutting into the flour.  I dropped these into my 10 inch oven with an ice cream scoop and baked them for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and the top completely covered with coals.  Check them after 15 minutes, the sugary tops can brown rather quickly under the high heat.  They taste bonnie good slathered with orange marmalade, you could even add a grating of orange rind to the flour mixture if you like that flavor combination.  Enjoy these in the great outdoors or with afternoon tea, they are simply too good to miss.

Scottish Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp sugar to sprinkle over tops
1-3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tbsp (1-1/4 sticks) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 tsp water

     Lightly oil or spray a 10 inch dutch oven.
     Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. 
     Cut in butter or rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
     Add cranberries.
     Whisk buttermilk and 2 eggs in small bowl; stir into dry ingredients.
     Mix well and drop by large spoonfuls into prepared oven.
     Whisk remaining egg with 1 tsp water in small bowl; brush beaten egg mixture over tops of scones.
     Sprinkle with 2 tsp of sugar.
     Bake at 400 degrees or until scones have risen and are golden.
     Cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 10 large scones.



Scoop batter into well oiled dutch oven

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden

Top off with orange marmalade