Berry Scones with Orange Honey Butter

Ingredients:

Orange-honey oil

• 1 liter of heavy cream
• Zest of 1 orange
• 0.5 cups honey
• A pinch of salt

Buttermilk Berry Scones

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 tbsp sugar + extra for sprinkling on buns
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 80 g cold butter, diced
• 1.5 cups assorted fresh berries (e.g. blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), washed and dried
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (reserved from the orange-honey butter) + extra for greasing the scones

Preparation:

1. You can make the oil the old-fashioned way: place all ingredients in a glass jar, seal tightly, and shake vigorously for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a food processor.
2. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend on high speed. The mixture will thicken, whip, and then separate, about 4 minutes. When the mixture separates (these are solids of butter and buttermilk), stop the processor and strain the buttermilk. There will be no more than 1 cup. Set aside the buttermilk for scones. Strain the butter and squeeze out any excess liquid. Punch the butter a couple of times to form a ball. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Scones:

   
   Preheat oven to 200°C.
4. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilled cubes of butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl, then add 3/4 tablespoon of buttermilk and mix. Once the dough is combined, add the berries and fold them into the dough, being careful not to crush them too much.
5. Place a spoonful of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops of each bun with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake until golden brown and the scones have risen, about 17-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
   
   Serve warm with orange honey butter.