Fig and Cranberry Scones

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
2. Add the cubed Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening and work in using your fingertips until the shortening is broken down into pea-sized pieces. Add the grated butter and mix that in as well until all of the fat is in small pieces and the mixture is crumbly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the sour cream. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the creams. Use a rubber spatula to stir, just until the liquid is incorporated. Stir in the cranberries.
4. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, just until cohesive and no flour spots remain. Pat the dough into a thick rectangle, about 8×10 in size.
5. Spoon two tablespoons of the fig butter onto the surface of the dough rectangle and smooth into a thin layer using an offset spatula. Gently fold the dough in half, sandwiching the fig butter inside. Rotate the block 90°, pat back down, and repeat with the remaining two tablespoons of fig butter.
6. Wrap the block, with the fig butter inside, tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
7. When the scone dough is very cold, remove it from the plastic wrap and use a sharp knife to cut six equal squares from the rectangle. Slice each square in half diagonally so that you have 12 triangles. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, at least two hours, preferably overnight.
8. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Arrange the frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving about 2″ of space between each scone. Brush the tops of the scones with a little bit of heavy cream and sprinkle them with a crunchy sugar.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the outsides are deeply golden. Serve warm.