Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Nutmeg Glaze

For the cranberry orange scones:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the butter into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sized pieces, place it in a covered bowl, and let chill in the freezer for 5–10 minutes while mixing the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest, breaking up any clumps of zest. With a rigid pastry blender or two knives, cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces. Make a well in the center, and then add buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix. Gently fold in cranberries, just until barely combined. Try to work rather quickly, so the butter in the dough stays as cold as possible. If the dough gets too warm, the scones will lose their shape more easily in the oven and have a more relaxed appearance with less defined edges.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, knead the dough gently two or three times to bring it all together. Do not over work the dough. Just make sure the dough is sticking together nicely. Pat dough into a 7-inch diameter circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Bake until scones are puffed and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let scones sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

For the orange nutmeg glaze:
While scones are still just slightly warm, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of freshly squeezed orange juice. Drizzle the orange nutmeg glaze over the scones using a spoon, as much as you desire. Allow icing to set completely, then serve.

Note: Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked. To revive leftover scones’ flaky texture the following day, preheat a baking stone to 300°F in the oven. Then place any number of scones on the stone and warm for 5–10 minutes. If you are planning to eat some of the scones the following day, wait to add glaze until after you have reheated them the next day.