A perfect balance of sweet & tart, these cranberry orange scones are soft, moist, & bursting with flavor!
You know that person who tries to give themself their own nickname? It just doesn’t work. You can’t personally decide to rebrand yourself with a witty title. Well, I’m not that person, but I’m adjacent to that person. Because in my heart, I want to be the scone queen. The queen of scones. I’m not acting on it, I just want to be honest with y’all and say that it’s crossed my mind. You see, I have a problem where I want there to be a scone for every season and every occasion. And currently we’re in full-on holiday season around here. T-5 days away from Thanksgiving and T-35 days away from Christmas. So naturally I’m going to give you a seasonal-flavored scone, and I’m thrilled to tell you that flavor is cranberry orange.
I LOVE this classic flavor combo. It’s sweet, it’s tart, it’s warm & nostalgic. And, of course, even more delightful when featured in a soft, tender scone. As always, I’m not bringing dry or crumbly scones to the table. These are melt-in-your mouth good & full of flavor. I use both dried and fresh cranberries in these to give extra flavor and texture, plus orange zest and orange extract to give that lovely dose of citrus. Finish with a simple vanilla glaze, and you’ve got yourself a real comfort-inducing treat.
Side note: did you know that you can freeze scones & bake them later? It’s true. So if you’re looking for a make-ahead breakfast for the holidays, these would be perfect. Just a thought! See my notes for more instructions on that.
Okay, friends, get to baking! ‘Tis the season. And keep your eyes peeled for next season’s seasonal scone. I promise you it’s coming- because honestly I can’t help myself.
What you’ll need to make these scones:
Butter: Butter adds flavor & flakiness. Because the butter is cold when it hits the oven, this helps the scones rise, giving them a light & fluffy texture.
Heavy Cream: Adds moisture & richness.
Egg: For binding & structure.
Vanilla and orange extracts: For added flavor.
Orange zest: Fresh orange zest amps up the orange flavor in these scones!
Cake flour: The cake flour in this recipe makes all the difference! Because it has a lower protein content than other flours, cake flour helps create an exceptionally light & fluffy texture to these scones.
Sugar & brown sugar: I use a combination of granulated & brown sugar in my scones to give a boost of sweetness. The granulated sugar also helps form a sweet and crisp exterior, while the brown sugar adds extra moisture to the scones.
Baking powder: For leavening.
Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness. TIP: While I recommend kosher salt, if you don’t have it on hand, use ½ the amount of table salt.
Cinnamon: A touch of spice adds delicious warmth to these scones.
Dried and fresh cranberries: I like a mix of both dried and fresh cranberries in these scones! The dried cranberries give flavor and a chewy texture, while the fresh cranberries add wonderful tartness & pop of flavor!
Powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk for the glaze.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What is the dough supposed to feel/ look like? Scone dough is kind of a Goldilocks situation- you don’t want it too dry, & you don’t want it to be wet either. The dough will be a bit crumbly, but should be moistened enough that when you press it together with your fingers the dough will stick together.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? I don’t recommend it. Milk is thinner than heavy cream, which can cause your scones to spread too much in the oven. Heavy cream also makes these scones really moist! If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, you can try whole buttermilk instead.
Do I have to chill the dough? Yes. Keeping the dough cold is crucial to baking up scones that are light & fluffy. When the cold ingredients (particularly the butter) hit the hot oven, steam is created, which helps the scones rise. If your ingredients are at room temperature, the butter will simply melt, causing your scones to spread and become flat & dense.
Can I use all dried cranberries? Yes you can! Just leave out the fresh cranberries and use a total of 80 gm (1/2 cup) dried cranberries in the recipe.
A few notes before you bake:
When it comes to making scones, keep things cold! Cold ingredients are crucial to getting a light & fluffy scone. Room temperature ingredients cause your scones to spread in the oven, causing them to become flat & dense. Here are some tips on how to keep things cold:
- Leave ingredients in the fridge until you need them (i.e. cubed butter & combined wet ingredients)
- Cut your butter into small pieces. This reduces the amount of time you spend cutting the butter into the flour mixture, therefore keeping it from getting too warm.
- Chill the dough in the freezer after cutting into wedges.
Don’t overwork your dough. Be careful not to overmix or overwork. Overworked dough= tough scones.
If glaze isn’t your thing, try a sprinkling of turbinado sugar after brushing with heavy cream!
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Cranberry Orange Scones
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minute chill time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast/ Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
Description
A perfect balance of sweet & tart, these cranberry orange scones are soft, moist, & bursting with flavor!
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 180 gm (3/4 cup) cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp orange extract
- Zest of 1 orange
- 281 gm (2 1/4 cups, spoon & leveled) cake flour
- 50 gm (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 25 gm (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 53 gm (1/3 cup) dried cranberries
- 50 gm (1/2 cup) fresh cranberries
For the glaze:
- 120 gm (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1–3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
To make the scones:
- In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, vanilla, orange extract, and orange zest and place in the refrigerator until needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter or 2 sharp knives, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Slowly add the cold heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture while simultaneously stirring with a wooden spoon. Gently mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and mostly incorporated. Gently fold in the dried and fresh cranberries, being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand until the dough comes together (NOTE: The dough will be crumbly, but it will come together as you work with it!) . Shape and press the dough together to form a flat disc, about 1″thick. Cut the disc into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2″ apart, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the scones from the freezer and lightly brush the tops with heavy cream.
- Remove the scones from the freezer and lightly brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops and edges of the scones are beginning to lightly brown. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze:
- Place powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon whole milk in a bowl and whisk together. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over the cooled scones.
Notes
Storage: These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven or the same day they are baked. However, they will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If eating them leftover, I like to pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them a bit.
Freezing: Prepare the dough and cut into wedges as directed in the recipe. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 1 hour. Frozen scones can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, just add a few extra minutes to your bake time!
Keywords: scones, cranberry, orange, vanilla glaze, breakfast, brunch, quick bread
