Cranberry-Cocoa Nib Scone

I'm going to start this post by saying that I'm not really a scone person. I do love me some tasty pastry, but my experiences with scones have resulted in dry, crumbly messes in my mouth and hands. Granted, I've never made my own before (can you believe it?... but I'm a chocolatier, not a scone-atier). Still, I've yet to meet a scone that has knocked my socks off, though I've not exactly been on the look-out.

In pursuit of more tantalizing daily pastries, I've finally bitten the bullet and tried some out for myself. Knowing that the key to most any butter-based pastry is to prevent overworking, I was very conscious about mixing the dough until it just barely came together, hoping that the result would be light and airy like a nice pie crust. Good call, if I say so myself:)

New in the cafe this morning are Cranberry-Cocoa Nib Scones and at the moment they are still warm on the inside! Made from all butter and other all-natural ingredients (like everything else around here), these babies get their flavor from the addition of dried cranberries and cocoa-nibs that have been plumped in boiling water. Pretty simple, really... pop some dried fruit in a little boiling water and strain a few minutes later. The result are little burst of flavor that help keep the pastry moist and succulent. They are finished with a little milk-wash on top and a generous dusting of cane sugar before baked until golden. Fun!