Tender and flaky with tart cranberries in every bite, these Cranberry Orange Scones are the best fall scones you'll ever have. They're perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee on a chilly morning!
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the scones
2 ¾cups(357g)all-purpose flour
⅓cup(67g)granulated sugar
1tablespoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
¾teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonorange zest
½cup(113g)unsalted butter, cold & cut into small pieces
¾cup(77g)fresh cranberries
½cup(120ml)fresh orange juice, cold
½cup(120ml)whole milk, cold
1tablespoonvanilla extract
2tablespoonsheavy cream or milk
2tablespoonscoarse sugar
For the glaze
1cup(120g)confectioners' sugar
3tablespoonsfresh orange juice
Instructions
Make the Scones
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest together.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the cranberries.
Whisk the orange juice, milk, and vanilla together then gradually add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. You may not need all the orange juice mixture. Add a little at a time until the dough is moist but not too wet. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead four or five times. Pat the dough into a 7-inch round circle.
Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four triangle-shaped wedges. Arrange the scones 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, position the oven rack to the center of the oven and heat to 400°F.
Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and drizzle with glaze.
Make the Glaze
Combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
Notes
Cranberries: I like fresh cranberries best because they're dry and don't stain the dough. You can use packaged, frozen, and thawed cranberries but keep in mind they may be wet and stain the dough. If you have fresh cranberries that have been frozen, these will work beautifully. Dried cranberries will also work.
Keep the dough cold: The scones need to be cold when going into the oven. Placing the shaped dough into the freezer for 30 minutes ensures the scones will bake up light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can place the scone dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Make ahead tip
Unbaked scones can be refrigerated overnight. Or seal in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Add about 2 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
You can keep leftover scones for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Unglaze scones can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat and glaze before serving.