Classic cranberry scones are made with dried cranberries and a touch of fresh oranges for a classic combination.
Depending on where you live, the term scone can mean very different things. In Utah, a scone is like a fried doughnut. These scones are a sweet, light biscuit type of pastry. Scones are a great way to use up leftover buttermilk or heavy whipping cream. So plan to make them when you have some extra on hand for other recipes.
Scones are surprisingly quick and easy to make. They are ready in about 30 minutes so they are quick and easy to make for breakfast. They would be great for a brunch served with Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Puff Pastry and 3 Ingredient Quick Pineapple Bread Recipe with Self-Rising Flour.
Classic Cranberry Scones Recipe
Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix well.
Add very cold butter cut in to small cubes to the flour mixture. One trick to getting light scones is to freeze your butter before cutting it in to the flour. The butter will melt as the scones baking creating nice air pockets for a light and fluffy texture.
Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into flour mixture with until small pea-sized crumbs form. If you don’t have a pastry blender you can use two forks or a food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Add cranberries and white sugar together and mix well to coat. This will help the cranberries not sink to the bottom of your scones and sweeten them up a little.
Stir the sugar coated cranberries into the flour/butter mixture.
Orange and cranberry are two great flavors to mix together. If you want, you can add the zest of one orange and mix well. But the orange isn’t required if you want to skip it.
Beat egg and half and half together in a small bowl. You can also use buttermilk or heavy cream in place of the half and half. Scones are a great way to use both of those when you have a little bit leftover from another recipe.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix just until combined. Do not over mix or the scones will be tough when baked.
Scone dough is always very sticky. So you will need to use quite a bit of flour on your hands and your work space when rolling it out, cutting, and moving the scones to a baking sheet.
Divide dough into fourths. Place onto a generously floured surface and top with additional flour as you pat dough into a 6″ circle, about 1/2″ thick. Cut into 6 triangles.
You can use a spatula to move the scones from the cutting board to the baking sheet. Place each triangle onto prepared baking sheet 2″ apart.
Repeat with the other 1/4 of the dough at a time until you have 24 scones cut out.
Bake the cranberry scones for 15-18 minutes.They should be lightly browned. Let cool completely before icing.
Mix powdered sugar, orange juice and milk together in a bowl. If you did not use the orange zest, then skip the orange juice and use all milk.
Use a spoon and drizzle icing over scones.
The scones will keep for a few days in an air tight container. They also freeze very well. If they dry out, just dip in coffee or tea when you eat them!
Classic Cranberry Scones Recipe
Ingredients
Scones Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cold butter cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 egg
Icing Ingredients
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon milk
- 1/2 Tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Add butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until small pea-sized crumbs form. You can also do this in a food processor.
- Add cranberries and white sugar together and mix well to coat.
- Stir sugar coated cranberries into flour mixture.
- Add zest of one orange and mix well.
- Beat egg and half and half together in a small bowl.
- Add to dry flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Divide dough into fourths. Place onto a generously floured surface and top with additional flour as you pat dough into a 6″ circle, about 1/2″ thick. Cut into 6 triangles.
- Place each triangle onto prepared baking sheet 2″ apart.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.
- To Make the Icing: whisk together powdered sugar, milk and orange juice.